Highlights of the year in terror

Some highlights from the U.S. State Department's latest report on global terrorism in 2006:

The number of terrorist incidents rose by 25 percent to approximately 14,000. 45 percent of these attacks occured in Iraq; 749 occured in Afghanistan (a 50 percent increase); 420 occured in or near Sudan and Nigeria (an increase of 65 percent).

The number of terrorist incidents fell in Europe and Eurasia (by 15 percent); and the Western Hemisphere (by 5 percent).

90 percent of the high casualty attacks - attacks that killed 10 or more people - occured in the Near East and South Asia. Two such attacks occured in the Philippines; there were zero attacks in Western Europe and Indonesia.

In 2006, terrorist attacks killed approximately 20,000 people (an increase of 40 percent). 65 percent of these were killed in Iraq.

Indonesia had 95 percent fewer victims of terrorism in 2006 compared to 2005.

The number of people injured in terrorist attacks increased by 54 percent. Iraq reported the largest increase (two- to threefold).

290 subnational groups carried out 5,000 attacks. Sunni extremists being the most active of the 290 groups. Most of the incidents (9,000) were carried out by unknown perpetrators.

There were 30 percent more bombings in 2006; with death rates 39 percent higher than the previous year, and injuries 45 percent higher.

Curiously the number of suicide bombings fell 12 percent with car bombings making up most of the percentage drop. Suicide bombings outside of vehicles increased by 25 percent, contributing to the higher number of fatalities as these attacks can penetrate crowded areas more easily.

2006 was also notable in the fact that terrorists began using chemical weapons - chlorine bombs - in Iraq during the year, another factor in the lethality increase.

Terrorists killed or injured approximately 58,000 people in 2006; 70 percent were identified as civilians. Nineteen percent were government officials, police, or paramilitary personnel. 1,800 of the victims were children; 430 were students; and 214 were teachers.

Over 50 percent of the victims are believed to have been Muslims - most having been killed or injured in Iraq by other Muslims.

Some 350 Mosques were targeted by terrorists in 2006, mostly by Islamic extremists.