Terrorism in Europe after 2001

Terrorism in Europe after 2001

Islamic terrorism

In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of radical Islamist networks emerged in Europe with supposed loyalty to al Qaeda. Since 2001, these have supported hundreds of tangible terrorist action plans. The growing terrorist threat in Europe was seriously demonstrated on March 11, 2004 when 191 people were killed in coordinated bomb attacks against four trains in Madrid. On July 7, 2005, a new, major attack on three subway trains and a bus in London came. Here, 52 people were killed.

Country Number of residents per square kilometer Proportion of residents in the cities (percent)
Albania 105 (2018) 59.4 (2017)
Andorra 164 (2018) 88.2 (2017)
Armenia 104 (2018) 63.1 (2017)
Azerbaijan 120 (2018) 55.3 (2017)
Belgium 377 (2018) 98.0 (2017)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 65 (2018) 47.9 (2017)
Bulgaria 65 (2018) 74.7 (2017)
Cyprus 129 (2018) 66.8 (2017)
Denmark 138 (2018) 87.8 (2017)
Estonia 30 (2018) 68.7 (2017)
Finland 18 (2018) 85.3 (2017)
France 122 (2018) 80.2 (2017)
Georgia 65 (2018) 58.2 (2017)
Greece 83 (2018) 78.7 (2017)
Ireland 71 (2018) 62.9 (2017)
Iceland 4 (2018) 93.8 (2017)
Italy 205 (2018) 70.1 (2017)
Kosovo 165 (2017)
Croatia 73 (2018) 56.7 (2017)
Latvia 31 (2018) 68.1 (2017)
Liechtenstein 237 (2018) 14.3 (2017)
Lithuania 45 (2018) 67.5 (2017)
Luxembourg 250 (2018) 90.7 (2017)
Northern Macedonia 57.7 (2017)
Malta 1,514 (2018) 94.5 (2017)
Moldova 94 (2018) 42.6 (2017)
Monaco 19 196 (2017) 100.0 (2017)
Montenegro 46 (2018) 66.5 (2017)
Netherlands 511 (2018) 91.1 (2017)
Norway 15 (2018) 81.9 (2017)
Poland 124 (2018) 60.1 (2017)
Portugal 112 (2018) 64.7 (2017)
Romania 85 (2018) 53.9 (2017)
Russia 9 (2018) 74.3 (2017)
San Marino 563 (2018) 97.1 (2017)
Switzerland 215 (2018) 73.8 (2017)
Serbia 80 (2018) 55.9 (2017)
Slovakia 113 (2018) 53.8 (2017)
Slovenia 103 (2018) 54.3 (2017)
Spain 94 (2018) 80.1 (2017)
UK 275 (2018) 83.1 (2017)
Sweden 25 (2018) 87.1 (2017)
Czech Republic 138 (2018) 73.7 (2017)
Turkey 107 (2018) 74.6 (2017)
Germany 237 (2018) 77.3 (2017)
Ukraine 77 (2018) 69.2 (2017)
Hungary 108 (2018) 71.1 (2017)
Vatican City State
Belarus 47 (2018) 78.1 (2017)
Austria 107 (2018) 58.1 (2017)

July 22 attacks

On July 22, 2011, Norway was hit by one of the worst terrorist attacks in modern European history. A car bomb went off in the Government Quarter in Oslo and a Norwegian terrorist attacked with firearms at AUF’s summer camp on Utøya in the Tyrifjord. A total of 77 were killed in the two attacks, carried out by the solo terrorist Anders Behring Breivik.

IS-inspired terrorism

Despite individual attacks by the right-wing extremists, jihadist terrorist groups are considered the most dangerous threat to the West, and especially Western Europe. This is also linked to the negative developments in the Middle East, and the rise of the Islamic State (IS), which has attracted thousands of European foreign warriors.

In 2015, it became clear that IS has the intention and capacity to hit the West in terror attacks. On November 13, several targets in Paris, including the Bataclan concert arena, were attacked by IS-affiliated terrorists. A total of 129 people were killed in the attacks. IS has been behind a number of fatal attacks in 2016 and 2017 as well. On March 22, 2016, 32 people were killed in three bombings at the airport and the metro in Brussels. On July 14 of that year, on France’s National Day, 86 people were killed when a terrorist drove a truck into a crowd on the seafront in Nice.

IS-inspired terrorism continued in 2017, including attacks on the Westminster Bridge in London (March 22), the St. Petersburg Metro (April 3), a shopping street in Stockholm (April 7), a Manchester arena (May 22) and at London Bridge (June 3).

Terrorist attacks against Muslim targets from suspected anti-Islamic communities have also occurred. June 19, 2017, one person was killed and several injured when an attacker drove a car into a crowd at the Finsbury Park Mosque in London.

Overview of terrorist attacks

Overview of terrorist attacks in Western Europe since 2001. Only attacks with 2 or more killed have been included in the overview (perpetrators not included). Attacks that are particularly suitable for creating fear (such as failed suicide attacks, unusual execution methods such as decapitation or the like) have also been included in the overview.

DateSort DescriptionSort Number killedSort Apparent motivationSort
07.05.2003 Shooting attack on Muslims in Brussels 2 Right-Extremism
06/12/2003 Obesity in Kandel, Germany 2 Right-Extremism
11.03.2004 More bombs against four trains during the rush hour in Madrid 191 jihadism
02.11.2004 Knife attack (and attempted decapitation) at filmmaker Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam 1 jihadism
07.07.2005 Suicide attack against three subways and one bus in London 52 jihadism
21.07.2005 Suicide attack against three subways and one bus in London (copy of the 7/7 attack) 0 jihadism
11.05.2006 Shooting attacks against immigrants in Antwerp 2 Right-Extremism
30.06.2007 Suicide attack against Glasgow Airport. The perpetrators had tried to bomb nightclubs in London the day before 0 jihadism
12/10/2009 Attempted suicide attack against Italian military camp in Milan 0 jihadism
11/12/2010 Suicide attack in Stockholm 0 jihadism
02/03/2011 Shooting attack on bus with US soldiers at Frankfurt Airport 2 jihadism
22/07/2011 Bomb attacks on the Government Quarter in Oslo and shootings on Utøya 77 Right-Extremism
13/12/2011 Firing attacks on immigrants in Florence 2 Right-Extremism
11.03.2012 A series of shooting attacks on French soldiers and Jewish schoolchildren in southern France, March 11-19. 7 jihadism
06/20/2013 Attacks on pregnant Muslim woman in Paris 2 Right-Extremism
05/22/2013 Car and knife attack (decapitation) of a British soldier on the street in Woolwich, UK 1 jihadism
05/24/2014 Shooting attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels 4 jihadism
01/07/2015 Shooting attack on the editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo in Paris 17 jihadism
02/14/2015 Shooting attacks on Powdered Duck in Copenhagen 2 jihadism
06/26/2015 Car and knife attack (decapitation) at a gas plant in Lyon 1 jihadism
10/22/2015 Knife attack at school in Trollhättan in Sweden 3 Right-Extremism
11/13/2015 Firearms and suicide bombing attacks on Stade de France, Bataclan and several restaurants in Paris 130 jihadism
03/22/2016 Suicide attack at Zaventem Airport and a metro station in Brussels 32 jihadism
06/13/2016 Knife attack on a policeman and his wife in Paris 2 jihadism
07/14/2016 Truck attack on the beach promenade in Nice 84 jihadism
07/26/2016 Attacks with a knife (decapitation) and hostage action in a Normandy church 1 jihadism
12/19/2016 Truck attack on Christmas market in Berlin 12 jihadism
03/22/2017 Truck and knife attack on Westminister Bridge and London Parliament 5 jihadism
04/07/2017 Attack by truck on Drottning-street in Stockholm 5 jihadism
05/22/2017 Suicide attack at the concert venue in Manchester 22 jihadism
03/06/2017 Car and knife attacks on and at London Bridge 8 jihadism
06/19/2017 Car attack against Muslim crowd at London’s Finsbury Park Mosque 1 Right-Extremism

Sources: Countryaah.com

Terrorism in Europe after 2001