Marked rise in terrorist attacks in Africa in June

Last June witnessed a significant increase in the number of terrorist operations by extremist organizations in Africa, compared to the previous month.

The increase amounted to 20%, with the month witnessing 36 terrorist operations, including bombings and assassinations.

This increase led naturally to an increase in the number of victims, injured and kidnapped.

The terrorist operations launched by extremist organizations in Africa during June left 295 people dead, and 114 injured. Seventy people were also taken hostages.

Thirty terrorist operations were carried out in May, leaving 268 people dead and 33 others injured. Thirty-three people were also kidnapped.

These operations took advantage of tribal and ethnic conflicts, pastoralists and farmers ' disputes over land and livestock.

Strategic points

Extremist organizations are forming strategic footholds on the borders to facilitate their escape, on one hand, and facilitate the smuggling of weapons, mercenaries, terrorists, drugs, money and goods between the borders to finance their operations, on the other hand.

According to a study prepared by the Al-Azhar Observer, which monitors terrorist activities around the world, the East African region ranked first in terms of the number of operations.

The troubled region, it said, witnessed 14 terrorist attacks, equivalent to 38.9% of the total number of terrorist operations.

These attacks, it added, caused 122 deaths and left 101 people injured. The observer also noted that 30 more people were kidnapped by terrorist groups.

Somalia alone suffered eight operations, resulting in 58 deaths, 97 injuries, 30 kidnappings, the observer said.

It added that Kenya witnessed four operations, resulting in 23 deaths, four injuries.

Uganda also witnessed one operation that led to the death of 41 people without injuries, the observer said.

It noted that Ethiopia was subjected to one botched operation.

"This confirms that terrorism in the East and the Horn of Africa poses a major threat to security, despite the successes scored by the governments of the region, especially the Somali authorities, in eliminating terrorist groups, such as Al-Shabaab," the observer said.

It added that this can be explained by the fact that government strategies in the East African region to counter Al-Shabaab's terrorism prompted the terrorist movement to escalate its threats this month.

It noted that the Sahel region of Africa came in second place in terms of the number of operations and victims.

This region, it said, witnessed ten terrorist attacks, equivalent to 27.8% of the total number of terrorist operations carried out by terrorist organizations on the continent during the month.

The attacks left 110 people dead and eight others injured, the observer said.