Nigeria has ranked second with the highest attacks by the Islamic State in 2021, according to statistics from Jihad Analystics, a consultant specialising in global and cyber jihad, open-source intelligence and data.
Jihad Analystics said that among its key findings is that the Islamic State claimed 2,636 attacks in 22 countries in 2021, nearly half of them in Iraq.
And based on its operations and its communications, #IS is investing heavily in Africa, especially in Nigeria, where it claimed a total of 370 attacks, second to Iraq with 1,079.
Other attacks by the IS and their number in 2021 include Syria (356) and Afghanistan (340), Democratic Republic of Congo (126), Egypt (96), Mozambique (62), Niger (48), Somalia (36), Pakistan (33) and Cameroon (20).
Others still include Philippines (16) Mali (14), Chad (9), India (8), Burkina Faso (5), Uganda (4), Libya (4), Indonesia (4), Tunisia (2) and Tanzania (1).
According to its posts on Twitter, “in 2021, the Islamic State claimed 2,636 attacks in 22 countries. Despite a slight decrease compared to 2020, #IS demonstrated its ability to carry out large-scale operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Mozambique. Sharp decline in Syria. No attack in the West.
“To start with, it is interesting to note that the number of Islamic State’s attacks has stabilised since the fall of Baghuz (March 2019), last IS stronghold in Syria. The slight drop can be explained by the fact that the group didn’t claim most of its attacks in Syria in 2021.
“Over the past year, #Africa was a focus in IS weekly magazine al-Naba’. ISWAP (takeover of Boko Haram) and ISCAP (control of Palma city in Mozambique) made the headlines 28 times. IS-Iraq rarely featured contrary to ISKP which carried out a deadly campaign against the Taliban.
“As has always been the case, Iraq was far and away the top of #IS provinces in 2021. First IS attacks in Uganda and first suicide attack in DRC. Extension of ISCAP operations to a new province in Mozambique. First VBIED in Somalia. ISEAP nearly vanished. IS-Yemen disappeared.
“In 2021, the Islamic State claimed 50.7 military operations per week on average. Peaks in the group’s attacks in #Iraq (April->August) and in #Nigeria (January + June/Boko Haram’s takeover). No increased activity during Ramadan + no global campaign contrary to previous years.
“The Islamic State’s operations against civilian infrastructure is a growing phenomenon. Last year, attacks on artesian wells, oil/gas infrastructure, crops and electricity/water supply represented 11.15% of the total number of #IS operations worldwide.
“Even if the group tends to overstate the number of casualties, it is worth noting that, while #IS remained the most active in Iraq, its attacks proportionally caused much more casualties in Afghanistan, Nigeria, DRC and Egypt. 53 attacks on Christians left 172 killed/wounded.”
