Islamic State terrorist group increase operations in the region

During the month of May, “the operational activity of terrorist groups and organisations active in the region has sharply increased”, according to the monthly report on the state of terror in the Middle East and North Africa that is put out by the Egyptian Centre for Studies (ECS).

This is the third month that the ECS reported an increase in terror activities in the region. In May, the ECS reported 208 attacks by terror groups, compared to 198 attacks during the month of April, 182 attacks during March, and 83 attacks in February.

According to the report, over 80 percent of the May attacks hit countries that suffer from “political instability”, with Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia featuring the highest percentage of attacks.

The increase in the rate of attacks comes against the backdrop of the US’ withdrawal of its troops from the region and the parallel wish of terror groups to push back against the pressure of Western-supported anti-terror operations.

Moreover, the report noted that the continued state of political tensions in the region, including the tension between Iran and Israel, have also contributed to the agitation of militant activities.

This said, the ECS report noted that governments of the region have invested a lot more time and effort in upgrading their anti-terror combat tactics. This, the report added, has certainly helped with launching pre-emptive attacks on militant groups.

Still, the report noted that terror groups, especially IS, are trying to make a comeback after having been defeated in a few spots around the region.

Source: Ahram Org