Global terrorism is at its highest level ever and continues to grow at 'unprecedented rates', according to the new annual global terrorism rankings compiled by the Sydney University Institute for Economics and Peace.
The Global Terrorism Index measures the scale and impact of terrorist attacks worldwide. The latest report found that the number of deaths from such incidents sharply increased following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The overwhelming majority of deaths from terrorism occur in five countries with Muslim majorities - Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria. A total of 32,658 people were killed by terrorists worldwide in 2014, an increase of 80 percent compared to the previous year.
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Ukraine ranked 12th in the index, rising 43 positions over the year. This is primarily due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict in Donbas.
The ranking notes that since the beginning of the century, the number of people killed in terrorist attacks has increased ninefold.
Presenting the report's findings, international experts highlighted the surge in killings since 2003, as 'many of the countries most affected by terrorism have also faced foreign military intervention.'
'I urge politicians to use the report's findings to reconsider strategies in the fight against terrorism and help shift the focus towards peace' - said one of the report's authors.
Of the 10 deadly attacks recorded in 2014, half took place in Nigeria, all but one carried out by the Boko Haram militant group. The deadliest attack occurred in the city of Badush, Iraq, in June 2014, where 670 people died.
Ukraine ranked fifth among the most tragic terrorist attacks due to the incident in Donetsk region on July 17, 2014. A total of 298 people died in the village of Grabovo.
The Islamic State (ISIS) also conducted two deadly attacks last year, and the recent attack in Paris demonstrates that the group has now appeared in Europe.
'Terrorism is gaining momentum at unprecedented rates, - experts stated. - The Paris incident is largely a watershed in Europe.