The 2026 Global Terrorism Index, released Thursday, records sharpest drop in terrorism deaths in years, yet the geopolitical storm clouds gathering over South Asia, the Sahel, and the West suggest the reprieve could be short-lived
The geography of global terrorism has shifted again. In 2025, Pakistan replaced Burkina Faso as the country most affected by terrorism, recording 1,139 deaths and 1,045 incidents — its worst toll in over a decade. The change reflects deeper structural currents, from the Taliban’s return in Afghanistan to the reorganisation of militant groups operating across porous borders.
