UK suffered more terror attack deaths than any other EU country

The 36 victims of the ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks in London and Manchester last year contributed to the UK suffering more deaths caused by terror attacks than any other country in Europe in 2017.

Europol’s 2018 EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report, which provides a concise overview of the nature of the terrorist threat the EU faced in 2017, finds that, although the number of casualties as a result of terrorist attacks decreased last year in Europe, the number of attacks on European soil did not, with 68 victims losing their lives as a result of terrorist attacks in the European Union.

The UK’s death toll was followed by 16 in Spain, five in Sweden, three in France, two in Finland and one in Germany, while more than 800 people were injured across the EU. The number of jihadist terrorist attacks grew from 13 in 2016 to 33 in 2017.

Furthermore, nine EU Member States reported a total of 205 foiled, failed and completed terrorist attacks in 2017, a 45 per cent increase compared to 2016 and a shift from a downward trend that started in 2014. Europol also point out that 975 individuals were arrested in the EU for terrorism-related offences.

Catherine De Bolle, Europol’s executive director, said: “The numbers in this report are not just statistics. We must never forget that behind every number, there is an innocent victim. It therefore goes without saying that supporting Member States to combat terrorism will remain a top priority for Europol. To fight terrorism, it is essential to have optimal information exchange and accurate data.”

Julian King, European Commissioner for the Security Union, added: “As this latest EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report shows, Europe continues to be a target for terrorism – we need to keep our collective eye on the ball, and strengthen our efforts at EU level to deny terrorists the means they need to carry out attacks including arms, explosives and funding; work on evolving areas such as CBRN threats; and continue to tackle radicalisation and all types of violent extremism.”