Islamist Terror Attacks Since 9/11: Tracker

• By decade: 2001–2009: 66 attacks and 6,197 deaths; 2010–2019: 162 attacks and 5,672 deaths; 2020–2026: 91 attacks and 4,276 deaths. The 2001–2009 figure includes the 9/11 attacks.
• Deadliest movements: the Islamic State and its branches account for more listed attacks than any other movement. Al-Qaeda and its affiliates have the higher death toll only because of 9/11; without it, the Islamic State leads.
• Where the deaths are: 71% of deaths in the tracker occurred outside the United States, Europe and Russia, even though that part of the list is mostly limited to attacks with 10 or more deaths. Our Africa News Hub covers the Sahel, Nigeria and Somalia, where many of those attacks took place.
• Methods: bombings and suicide bombings make up 166 of the 319 entries. In Europe and the United States, stabbings, shootings and vehicle rammings are more common than large bombings.

Islamic State and branches

The Islamic State grew out of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Its regional branches, including ISIS-K in Afghanistan and Pakistan, have claimed attacks in Europe, Russia, Africa and Asia, among them the 2024 Crocus City Hall attack near Moscow. The tracker lists 102 attacks attributed to this movement, with 3,636 deaths. The State Department designated the group, then known as al-Qa’ida in Iraq, on December 17, 2004, and designated its Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) on January 14, 2016 (State Department: Foreign Terrorist Organizations list).

Al-Qaeda and affiliates

Al-Qaeda carried out the September 11 attacks. In this tracker its affiliates include AQAP, which claimed the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack, and JNIM, an al-Qaeda-linked coalition in the Sahel. The tracker lists 23 attacks attributed to this movement, with 4,643 deaths. The State Department designated al-Qa’ida on October 8, 1999, and al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) on January 19, 2010 (State Department: Foreign Terrorist Organizations list).

Boko Haram

Boko Haram is based in northeastern Nigeria and also attacks neighboring Cameroon and Niger. ISWAP, which split from it, is listed under the Islamic State above. The tracker lists 9 attacks attributed to this movement, with 650 deaths. The State Department designated Boko Haram on November 14, 2013, and ISIS-West Africa (ISWAP) on February 28, 2018 (State Department: Foreign Terrorist Organizations list).

Al-Shabaab

Al-Shabaab is an al-Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia. It has carried out truck bombings in Mogadishu and attacks in Kenya, including the 2015 Garissa University College attack. The tracker lists 13 attacks attributed to this movement, with 501 deaths. The State Department designated al-Shabaab on March 18, 2008 (State Department: Foreign Terrorist Organizations list).

Taliban and TTP

The Afghan Taliban and the separate Pakistani Taliban (TTP) are both named in attacks in this tracker. The Taliban-aligned Haqqani network is counted here too. The tracker lists 19 attacks attributed to this movement, with 1,229 deaths. Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was designated on September 1, 2010. The Afghan Taliban does not appear on the list (State Department: Foreign Terrorist Organizations list).

Hamas

Hamas led the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Our October 7 Memorial page remembers the victims and hostages, and our explainer on Iran’s Axis of Resistance network covers the group’s backers. The tracker lists 18 attacks attributed to this movement, with 1,339 deaths. The State Department designated HAMAS on October 8, 1997 (State Department: Foreign Terrorist Organizations list).

FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The first JTTF was set up in New York City in 1980. Today there are about 200 task forces, with at least one in each of the FBI’s 55 field offices, coordinated by a National JTTF at FBI headquarters (FBI: Joint Terrorism Task Forces).

National Counterterrorism Center. On the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, which opened in May 2003, became the National Counterterrorism Center in August 2004 under Executive Order 13354. NCTC maintains the government’s authoritative database of known and suspected terrorists (ODNI: History of the National Counterterrorism Center). Our guide to U.S. and allied intelligence agencies explains where NCTC fits.

Department of Homeland Security. DHS replaced its color-coded alerts with the National Terrorism Advisory System in 2011 (DHS: National Terrorism Advisory System). Its “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign asks the public to report suspicious activity to state and local police (DHS: Preventing terrorism and targeted violence).

For security advisories, see our tracker of NSA cybersecurity warnings. Daily coverage of U.S. forces is on our Military News page, and Pentagon budget and contract news is on our Defense News page.