(VOVworld) – In 2016, hundreds of terrorist attacks shook the world and stirred public indignation. More sophisticated terrorist plots are posing an unprecedented threat to global security.

Police arrested a suspect in Diyarbakir, southeast of Turkey, on November 4 (Photo: AFP/VNA)

2016, a year of loss

The Middle East, the world’s most volatile region, was in the spotlight in the past 5 days, when Egypt and Turkey suffered a series of bloody attacks, which killed 100 people and wounded hundreds.

Egypt was battered by devastating bomb blasts that claimed 30 lives and injured 155 last Friday and Sunday. In Turkey, a twin bombing outside an Istanbul football stadium on Saturday night killed 38 and wounded hundreds. The Kurdish militant group PKK said it was behind the attack. The PKK also masterminded last year’s terrorist attack in Ankara that caused hundreds of casualties. Observers fear these bombings may be a prelude to a terrorist wave in the Middle East, which has become a hotbed of terrorists and extremists.

More dangerous

Other parts of the world are also being affected by terrorism. The US Department of Homeland Security has reported that 100 terrorist conspiracies targeted the West this year, with a success rate of 44%, higher than the 33% in 2015.

According NBC News, the Islamic State expanded its operations to 18 countries this year, twice the 2014 figure. With 2.2 billion USD from oil sales and blackmails annually, IS has become the richest terrorist groups in history with an estimated 200,000 gunmen.

Despite some encouraging results in the US-led fight against IS, which has recaptured about 40% of IS-led territories in Syria and Iraq, this terrorist group continues to aggressively launch attacks on the outside world. The “Lone wolf” attacks show another frightening face of terrorism. For example, the truck attack in Nice that killed 84 in July and the shooting spree in Munich several days later.

Fierce fighting

The number of lone wolf attacks appears to be on the rise as a result of the widening gap between the rich and the poor, and between indigenous people and immigrants. The migrant crisis in Europe has worsened social division. Marginalized people are more vulnerable to extremism.

2016 saw a sharp increase of terrorist attacks. The civil war in Syria and sectarian violence in the Middle East have engendered criminal behavior.  In 2017, the world must take stronger measures to eliminate terrorism.