The Islamic State has massacred more than 33,000 people since its inception in 2002, according to a report conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland.
From 2002 to 2015, ISIS and its affiliates committed 4,900 acts of terror, resulting in at least 33,000 deaths and 41,000 injuries. They also took a total of 11,000 hostages.
In total, these attacks, from that time period, constituted 13 percent of all terror attacks worldwide and 26 percent of deaths resulting from terror.
Researchers drew data from the Global Terrorism Database and classified attacks based on whether it came from an ISIS predecessor, the core ISIS organization, an ISIS affiliate or whether it was ISIS-inspired or related.
Interestingly, although much attention has been paid to individuals conducting attacks in Western countries, who were inspired by ISIS, these acts only count for less than 1 percent of attacks and injuries. They were also 74 percent less deadly compared to core ISIS-perpetrated atrocities.
The organization emerged in 2002, when it was run by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian. In 2013, it became more publicly known as ISIS and has attracted pledges of allegiance from other terror groups all over the world. Some of those alliances are stronger than others, namely the relationship between Boko Haram and ISIS. At least 30 organizations in total have submitted to the authority of ISIS.
In an effort to curb the group’s influence, the U.S. has conducted airstrikes in Syria and Iraq and provided support to Iraqi government forces fighting to retake major cities. The U.S. has also funneled arms and support to so-called moderate rebels in Syria to target ISIS, though several of those groups have gone rogue and battled each other instead of the desired target.
The U.S. has followed ISIS’ over to Libya, as well, where the group maintains a stronghold in Sirte, a major port city. U.S. defense officials said Tuesday that the number of ISIS fighters in the city has plummeted to just 350, from its original figure of up to 1,000.
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