KABUL - A new global study by the London-based Institute for Economics and Peace has ranked Afghanistan second after Iraq on the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) list.

The report said Iraq was the country hit hardest by terrorism, with 2,492 attacks that killed more than 6,300 people. It was followed by Afghanistan and Pakistan, with Nigeria and Syria in fourth and fifth place respectively.

With 10,000 worldwide attacks in 2013, the report says Pakistan in particular saw a 37 per cent

The report also said that deaths resulting from terror incidents in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Syria account for more than 80 per cent of the total deaths from attacks.

The report says terrorism is increasing in Afghanistan, with ten percent more terrorist attacks and 13 percent more fatalities in 2013 than 2012.

Whilst there were seven different terrorist groups active in Afghanistan, one group, the Taliban, were responsible for the majority of attacks and casualties. The Taliban remain one of the most deadly terrorist groups in the world.

The report held the Taliban responsible for 75 percent of all terrorist fatalities in Afghanistan in both 2012 and 2013. In 2013 unknown actors accounted for 23 percent of deaths by terrorism. The remainder of fatalities were claimed by six terrorist groups.

In 2013 there were terrorist acts in over 440 different cities in Afghanistan, clearly highlighting the breadth of terrorism across the country. However 304 cities suffered only one terrorist attack.

There were 36 attacks in the capital Kabul and 25 attacks in the old capital of Kandahar. Police are the targets of most attacks, being targeted 46 percent of the time and suffering 53 percent of the deaths. Private citizens are the second biggest target group, with 21 per cent of attacks and 19 percent of deaths.

Although attacks on schools and educational institutions account for only two per cent of attacks they result in one of the highest injury rates per attack averaging nearly ten injuries but only one death.

In 2013 the Taliban conducted at least seven attacks targeting girls attending school, mostly in the north, resulting in over 160 casualties.

Bombings and explosions were the most common tactic used in Afghanistan, accounting for over half of all attacks and fatalities.

A quarter of all terrorist attacks were armed assaults, with 37 percent of deaths attributed to this tactic.

Almost all armed assaults were with firearms, although there were a few instances of knives and axe attacks with at least 19 beheadings. There were over 100 suicide bombings in 2013, mostly by the Taliban.

Suicide bombings were very deadly, averaging five deaths and ten injuries per attack.

A Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said their war was against the world’s biggest infidel state American and their struggle was aimed at freeing the country from the injustices meted out to Afghans by the US.

He said they wanted to re-establish an Islamic system in Afghanistan and those calling them terrorists was their own justice and decision.  “We cannot become terrorists by mere accusations.” (Pajhwok)