Terrorism around the world: From Isis to Boko Haram, how a small number of groups can kill thousands of people

Between them these five groupos have accounted for some of the worst terrorist attacks in recent years

IS parades through Ramadi after killing at least 500 people

The global threat from terrorism comes largely from a relatively small number of groups, but between them they have accounted for some of the worst terrorist attacks in recent years.

Isis

This jihadist movement stemmed from al-Qaeda in Iraq, but split in 2014 and declared itself a caliphate last summer after capturing vast swaths of territory in Iraq. Isis has tens of thousands of fighters at its disposal and was responsible for the deaths of about 6,000 people in 2014 – including the massacre of hundreds of civilians in Sinjar, Iraq, in August that year, and the murder of 670 Shia prisoners in Badush in June 2014. When the 20,000 it has killed in the Syrian civil war are taken into account, Isis “would be viewed as by far the most destructive terrorist group in 2014”, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) released last week. It is known for its effective use of propaganda and brutal tactics, highlighted by public beheadings of hostages. More than 30 terrorist groups support Isis, which has up to 200,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.

Some of the hundreds of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria (AFP)

Boko Haram

The group, whose name means “Western education is forbidden”, was established in 2002 and seeks to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state. It declared allegiance to Isis earlier this year. Based in Nigeria, it has a reputation for mass murder of civilians and kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls from a boarding school in Nigeria last year. It mounted 453 attacks in 2014, killing 6,644 people – becoming “the most deadly terrorist group in the world”, in the process, according to the GTI.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

It was established in 2009 through a merger of the Yemeni and Saudi branches of al-Qaeda. It was behind the foiled “underpants bomb” on a plane to Detroit on Christmas Day, 2009, as well as two attempts to bring down Chicago-bound cargo planes in 2010. Based in southern Yemen, where it has been targeted by US drone strikes for more than a decade, it is responsible for more than 1,200 deaths over the past five years. AQAP claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

Based in the Sahara and Sahel, it seeks to rid North Africa of Western influence. The group, which has its origins in the Islamic Armed Group during Algeria’s civil war, has named Spain and France as its main “far enemies”. It has about 1,000 members in Algeria and supporters in Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and Tunisia. AQIM and its allies held vast tracts of Mali in 2013, before being driven back by French soldiers. It claimed joint responsibility for Friday’s attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali.

IS strikes Kobani, Syria (Getty)

Al-Shabaab

The Somalia-based terrorist group’s name means “the youth” in Arabic. It was behind the attack on Westgate shopping mall in Kenya in 2013. Britons are among its ranks, including Samantha Lewthwaite, whose husband was a 7/7 bomber. It is thought to have 7,000 to 9,000 fighters and is allied to al-Qaeda.