The number of Islamist attacks in Europe slightly decreased in 2019, according to a report delivered by the French terrorism assessment centre (CAT) highlighting the problems Islamic State (IS) has experienced since losing its self-proclaimed caliphate.
"In 2019, the threat was mainly home-grown. The changing military situation in Syria has brought about a decrease in jihadist activity and in IS capacity to carry out attacks in Europe," the report from CAT, an independent institute, states.
In 2019, 25 "terrorist incidents" occurred in the EU: 3 attacks, 5 attempted attacks and 17 planned attacks, as against 4 attacks, 1 attempted attack and 21 planned attacks in 2018, the document indicates.
France is still the jihadists' main target with a total of just under a third (32%) of the attacks, attempted or planned, against 16% for Germany and the United Kingdom, and 8% for the Netherlands and Spain.
The death toll between 2018 and 2019 is relatively unaltered: the attacks have resulted in 10 dead and 34 injured over the year as a whole, compared to 13 and 37 respectively the previous year.
According to CAT, the threat last year did not, for example, come from groups infiltrating via Syria. Just 4% of the attacks were "remotely controlled," which is defined as "perpetrated by individuals without jihadist experience abroad and in touch with a person giving orders in the area."
The Brussels Times
