Terrorism Deaths Surge 61% Thanks to Radical Islamists

The Global Terrorism Index 2014 report has revealed that the number of deaths from terrorism soared by 61% between 2012 and 2013 while attacks jumped 44%.

According to the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) report, Islamic State (Isis), al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and the Taliban were behind most of the deaths, while Iraq was the most affected country.

"Not only is the intensity of terrorism increasing, its breadth is increasing as well," said the report.

"To counteract the rise of religious extremism, moderate Sunni theologies need to be cultivated by credible forces within Islam.

"There are many peaceful Muslim-majority countries that do not suffer from terrorism such as Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait, underscoring how there are other social, political and geopolitical factors at play."

The report, which only has data up until the end of 2013, shows that there were nearly 10,000 terrorist attacks last year, which is a 44% increase from the year before.

Out of those attacks, nearly 18,000 people died, marking a 61% increase from 2012.