THE UK'S BIGGEST TERRORIST THREATS
Northern Ireland tops the number of incidents, but ISIL is responsible for the most injuries
NEARLY eight in every 10 UK terror related incidents take place in Northern Ireland.
That’s according to analysis of data from the University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database, which has detailed all terrorist events across the world from 1970 through to 2017.
When looking specifically at the 444 incidents recorded as taking place in the UK between 2014 and 2017, 355 occurred in Northern Ireland.
That was followed by London (14 incidents) and Manchester( five incidents ).
Bristol, Horsham and Banbury all had four incidents each.
The data helps shine a light on the perpetrators of terror that pose the biggest threat to UK citizens.
The three biggest “perpetrator groups” were dissident Republicans (responsible for 50 incidents), The New
Irish Republican Army (responsible for 30) and Óglaigh na hÉireann (an IRA splinter group that was operational between 2009 and 2018 - responsible for 13 incidents).
Anti-Muslim extremists were responsible for 12 incidents - the next highest figure.
Unaffiliated “Loyalists” were behind 11 attacks, while the UVF were behind six and the UFF were behind five. However, looking at the severity of attacks, ISIL caused the highest number of deaths.
They were responsible for 23 fatalities and 119 injuries over the period.
All of those refer to the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017, since the database includes the perpetrators of attacks where they were killed or injured.
Unaffiliated “jihadi-inspired extremists” were responsible for 12 further deaths eleven at the 2017 London Bridge attack along with a Rochdale murder in 2016.
Unclassified “Muslim extremists” were responsible for a further seven deaths - six at the 2017 Westminster attack, along with the murder of Asad Shah in Glasgow in 2016.
Neo-Nazi extremists were responsible for one fatality over the period - the MP Jo Cox in 2016.
The number of terror incidents has remained fairly steady over the period. There were103 in 2014 and 122 in 2017 the latest year available.
The figures only relate to attacks that were successful, not plots that authorities managed to foil, or attacks after 2017.
Last month Neil Basu, head of counter terrorism policing, warned about the growth of right-wing terrorism in the UK, revealing that nearly a third of terrorist attacks foiled since 2017 were linked to the ideology.
He said: “There is a small but growing threat from right wing terrorism to the UK and we are working alongside our partners in the security services to combat it.
“We are dedicating more officers and more resources to tackle it, and together we are bringing the full might of the UK CT machine to bear against those who wish to do us harm or incite violence.
“The whole of society has a part to play in this fight.
“My officers might be on the frontline, but we cannot succeed without the help and support of the public.”