Introduction
The incident of the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001 left Americans with anger, fear, shock, and sadness that they had never experienced before. The incident left approximately 3,000 people dead in Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, and Shanksville (Jordan et al., 2019). Even with the lessons learned and the extensive funds and resources channeled towards combating terrorism, the threat from international terrorism seems to evolve with technology and measures of curbing terrorism.
There have been continuous attacks since the 11 September 2001 incident. Jihadist ideology continues to gain more sympathizers and affiliates in the West and the rest of the world, encouraging evolution and lone-wolf attacks. The threat of international terrorism has shifted its focus from the West to other parts of the world, such as Africa. International terrorism continues to be a threat as it evolves to the use of radicalization, propaganda, technology, social media, the internet, and charitable organizations while changing tactics to incorporate lone and organized attacks.
Evolution of Terrorism Since 2001
Transformation of Motivation
Terrorism is ultimately more ominous in its methods and perspective in today’s world, ever since 11 September 2001. Terror has become the end rather than the means to an end for many radical and violent organizations, such as ISIS and Al-Shabaab. According to LaFree, Dugan, and Fahey (2020), it can be argued that the evolution of terrorism symbolizes continuity rather than change. The media has contributed to the saturation of terrorist atrocity images, which, in its way, has forced these terror groups to raise their bar concerning the destruction level and the attention that comes with the aftermath (Mukashev, 2021).
There is a shift from the politically orchestrated attacks by politically minded terrorists to the attacks that are organized solely based on revenge and fame by hardline and vengeful fanatics. According to Defense Procurement International, in the case of the France bombing on 13 November 2015, more than 400 people were injured, and 129 were killed, based on vengeful fanatics (Robert et al., 2021). Terrorism is no longer an act of political pushback but a result of defiance and extremism.
The Rise of Lone-Wolf and Youth Radicalization
Lone-wolf terrorism has gained popularity, showing that terrorism has advanced from politically motivated groups to individuality. Lone-wolf offenders are mobilized and radicalized online to violence quickly. According to McCulloch et al. (2019), these individuals are not affiliated with any group and pose a huge threat to national and international security. They are, therefore, hard to identify, disrupt, and investigate since they lack affiliation with any terror group.
According to the Global Terrorism Index, most cases of terrorism experienced in the West result from lone-wolf attacks. A report from Defense Procurement International shows that these attacks comprise 98 per cent of terrorism-related deaths in the United States (U.S. Department of State, 2021). In several European countries, lone-wolf attacks are proving to be a menace. For example, in May 2014, Belgium experienced a lone-wolf terror attack, leading to 4 deaths (Bajwa, 2021). Similarly, in Paris, during the celebration of Bastille Day, a lone actor kills 85 people by running through them with a truck.
The terror groups are recruiting more teenagers to their organizations to carry out their orders. Teenagers are vulnerable to online propaganda sent through the internet, and the European authorities are finding it hard to recognize and identify teenagers as terrorists due to the innocence that most of them show(McCulloch et al., 2019). There are reported cases of teenagers up to 14 years of age willing to partake in terrorist activity.
Similarly, there was an instance where a 17-year-old was organizing a terror activity against the uniformed personnel (Nyamutata, 2020). These attacks were being planned on Telegram and social media away from the onlookers and the security personnel. Besides, there was an instance where an 18-year-old was caught in a different case organizing attacks on the French authorities. In another case, an underage girl was arrested with chemicals such as triacetone triperoxide, which are more dangerous and used in complex bomb attacks (Nyamutata, 2020). This not only shows that terrorism has evolved from being organized by adults but also by minors, which requires security officials to adapt.
Regional Shifts and the Expansion into Africa and the Middle East
There is increased entrenched insurgency in addition to lone-wolf attacks in Iraq and Syria. According to Ratelle (2020), organized terror groups such as ISIS have adopted a mechanism to convert the weaknesses of local forces in areas where they operate into safe havens. This threatens the peace and operations of a country and international bodies as they mount a series of coordinated attacks against forces collaborating with the Global Coalition (Jones, 2022).
An illustration from the case of al-Qaeda shows that there are increased alarms from onlookers and reporters that al-Qaeda has new sympathizers in Afghanistan following the power turnover by the Taliban in August 2021 (Jones, 2022). The resurgence in the area by the group has been enabled by the power-sharing agreement between the Haqqani and the Taliban, and the network formed between these two governing bodies. Even though the United States Army achieved a massive win by neutralizing al-Qaeda when they eliminated Ayman al-Zawahiri, the group is not dead but instead evolving.
Terror groups are growing their ranks, gaining ground, making new local affiliations, and expanding their territories and revenue resources in areas where they face little opposition, such as in some parts of Africa. These are efforts to match global and regional security forces. Regions such as Central and West Africa and the Horn of Africa are experiencing increased terrorist activities, which shifted the area to a new epicenter(Jones, 2022). Data from the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) shows that as of 2022, the Sahel region had experienced a 1,000 increase in terrorism-related deaths (GTI, 2022). This indicates that the terror activities have shifted from the West and gained root in other continents, causing harm on a scale never known before.
Data from GTI shows that since 2017, no other region in the world has witnessed a high number of terrorism-related deaths compared to Sub-Saharan Africa. The number exceeds the global number of deaths due to terrorist activities by 50 per cent, roughly translating to over 12,000 deaths (GTI, 2022). The aftermath of these activities has also left over 3.5 million conflict-displaced persons in Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
Propaganda, Recruitment, and International Support Networks
Extremists and terror groups have evolved to adopt propaganda to garner international supporters and sympathizers. Propaganda campaigns are common mechanisms comprising information that is not accurate that political organizations broadcast or publish to garner influence and control of a particular topic. According to research by Speckhard and Ellenberg (2021), in Syria, ISIS could garner more than 40,000 volunteers before facing defeat. In a similar instance, Al-Shabaab, a terror group believed to be hiding in Somalia, has evolved to the extent that it can attract foreign investors, particularly from Sudanese and Somali communities living in the diaspora. This has raised concerns among international bodies dedicated to fighting such wars.
It is also alarming that some American citizens aid such groups and even join and secure ranks (Speckhard and Ellenberg, 2021). This shows how the use of propaganda has enabled terrorists to evolve internationally and receive support from communities all over the globe. It is no longer a region-based but rather an international menace.
The terror groups are quickly changing tactics and loci, developing new ideas to terrorize populations and allied interests. In the Syrian Arab Republic, AL-Qaeda, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and their affiliates remain active and seek to rebuild their combat capabilities (Speckhard and Ellenberg, 2021). Similarly, they are in complete shifts and dedicated to utilizing the guerrilla warfare tactic by doing hit-and-run attacks on various provisional checkpoints. They extend their activities from these hideouts to other jurisdictions, such as the neighboring countries and the rest of the world.
These groups are well organized, and they continue to utilize roadside IEDs to attack mobile patrols, civilians, and convoys. Their concerted efforts allow them to launch strikes against these targets on a regular basis. Such operations affect the Syrian government and have encroached into other territories, such as Homs and Hama Governorates. Even after the invasion by the Russian troops in 2021, the presence of ISIL is still prominent in northern Hamah and southern Halab (Speckhard and Ellenberg, 2021). They are still capable and intend to sustain a prolonged insurgency in Badiyah.
Terror groups are tapping into the charitable and nonprofit sectors as sources of their funds, enabling them to stay anonymous while parading as good citizens. In South East Asia, there are concerns about the misuse and abuse of these charities, as some are accused of being affiliated with ISIL (U.S. Department of State, 2021). These terror groups are exploiting such charity organizations and using these resources wrongfully to fund and offer support to the ISIL in Syria and the Mujahedin Indonesian Timur.
One such charitable organization under the radar of international bodies and regional security agencies is the Muslimah Bima Peduli Mama Charity. This organization is accused of disguising itself as collecting donations to combat natural calamities but instead channels such contributions to militia groups, such as the ISIL (U.S. Department of State, 2021). At one point, the Muslimah Bima Peduli Mama Charity raised funds but instead directed them to support Malham Tactical, a terror group led by Abu Ahmed Foundation in Syria.
Technological Adaptation and the Digitalization of Terrorism
Terror groups are evolving with technology and incorporating some technological know-how in conducting coordinated attacks. In East Africa, terror groups and organizations such as the Al-Shabaab are deploying drones to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance on military camps, recording security forces’ activities (Bacon and Muibu, 2019). This alone shows how organized these groups have become.
Neighboring states such as Kenya and international allied forces have expressed concerns about the capacity of the threat that Al-Shabaab is in a position to impose from weaponized uncrewed aerial vehicles (Bacon and Muibu, 2019). It is a global threat as such groups can and intend to cause mass destruction by launching attacks on civil aviation and aircraft infrastructures. There are concerns that Al-Shabaab has plans to hit low-flying planes along the Somalia and Kenya border with the aim of crippling international forces and commercial and humanitarian flights.
The advance of social media and the internet has enabled terror groups to coordinate worldwide without necessarily having to meet physically. According to Rauf (2020), despite the regulations and censorship available on the internet and social media, terror groups have managed to communicate through the back door and coordinate attacks. Domestic and international extremists and terror groups use publications, images, videos, and online messaging platforms to pass their messages to sympathizers and supporters. Even without meeting physically, they can recruit and radicalize receptive individuals.
Social media is partly responsible for the homeland attacks experienced in the United States and some parts of the world, as it allows terrorists to gain unprecedented virtual access to United States residents. In particular, ISIS encourages lone attacks from its sympathizers in its locations. Similarly, they offer online recruitment to people who would love to join them as foreign fighters.
Conclusion
International terrorism remains a significant global threat as it continues to adapt through social media, radicalization, propaganda, technology, the internet, and charitable organizations. Its tactics now include both lone-wolf attacks and coordinated operations. Lone-actor violence has become more common, and in places like Iraq and Syria, insurgent activity remains deeply rooted.
Terrorist groups are also increasingly recruiting teenagers to carry out their missions. In regions with limited security presence—such as parts of Africa—these groups are expanding their membership, strengthening local alliances, and increasing their territorial and financial resources. By using propaganda and online platforms, especially social media, they are exploiting charitable and nonprofit networks. Overall, terrorist organizations are advancing technologically and integrating new technical skills to execute more sophisticated attacks.
Reference List
Bacon, T. and Muibu, D. (2019) ‘Al-Qaida and Al-Shabaab: A resilient alliance’, in M. Keating and M. Waldman (eds.) War and peace in Somalia: National Grievances, local conflict and Al-Shabaab. Oxford University Press, pp. 391–400.
Bajwa, A. (2021) ‘Threat of ISIS-affiliated foreign terrorist fighters towards Canadian National Security‘, The Journal of Intelligence, Conflict, and Warfare, 4(1), pp. 61–95.
GTI (2022) Global terrorism index 2022 – World, ReliefWeb.
Jones, S.G. (2022). Countering a resurgent terrorist threat in Afghanistan, Council on Foreign Relations.
Jordan, H.T. et al. (2019). ‘Persistent mental and physical health impact of exposure to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center Terrorist attacks‘, Environmental Health, 18(1).
Lafree, G., Dugan, L. and Fahey, S. (2020). ‘Global terrorism and failed states’, in J.J. Hewitt, J. Wilkenfeld, and T.R. Gurr (eds.) Peace and conflict 2008. Boulder, CO: Paradigm, pp. 39–54.
McCulloch, J. et al. (2019) ‘Lone Wolf terrorism through a gendered lens: Men turning violent or violent men behaving violently?‘ Critical Criminology, 27(3), pp. 437–450.
Mukashev (2021) ‘International legal cooperation of states in the fight against international terrorism’, Moscow Journal of International Law, (3), pp. 114–126.
Nyamutata, C. (2020) ‘Young terrorists or child soldiers? ISIS children, international law and Victimhood‘, Journal of Conflict and Security Law, 25(2), pp. 237–261.
Ratelle, J.-F. (2020) ‘Jihad at home or leaving for Syria and Iraq: Understanding the motivations of Dagestani Salafists‘, Perspectives on Terrorism, 14(2), pp. 57–68.
Rauf, A.A. (2020) ‘New Moralities for new media? Assessing the role of social media in acts of terror and providing points of deliberation for business ethics’, Journal of Business Ethics, 170(2), pp. 229–251.
Robert, M. et al. (2021) ‘Media exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the wake of the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks: A population-based study in France’, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12.
Speckhard, A. and Ellenberg, M. (2021) ‘Isis and the allure of traditional gender roles‘, Women & Criminal Justice, 33(2), pp. 150–170.
U.S. Department of State (2021) Country reports on Terrorism 2019.