Escalation in sectarian attacks in Iraq contributed the most in 20,498 terror-deaths worldwide: US report

A US government report has said that the number of people killed by terrorists last year worldwide soared by more than 40 percent to 20,498. The report cited the devastating sectarian attacks on civilians in Iraq, as the main reason behind the increase in such killings.

Washington, May 1 : A US government report has said that the number of people killed by terrorists last year worldwide soared by more than 40 percent to 20,498. The report cited the devastating sectarian attacks on civilians in Iraq, as the main reason behind the increase in such killings.

In 2005, the number of people killed in terror-related incidents world over was 14,618.

The report titled "Country Reports on Terrorism", prepared by the US State Department, also blamed Iran and Syria as the "worst state sponsors of terror".

According to figures provided by the US National Counter-terrorism Center, which groups data from 16 US intelligence agencies, the number of terrorist incidents rose nearly 30 percent to 14,338 in 2006, from 11,153 in 2005.

The increase was due to the doubling of attacks in Iraq, four years after the US-led invasion which toppled Saddam Hussein, said the report.

The Center counted 6630 terrorist attacks during the year in Iraq, primarily linked to sectarian violence between majority Shiites and the minority Sunnis who controlled the country under Saddam.

Incidents categorized by the report as terrorism also escalated dramatically in Afghanistan, where the number of incidents rose from 491 to 749, including a spate of suicide bombings attributed to the Taliban militia, which is fighting to return to power after being ousted in a US-led military drive following the September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks on the US.

The report came out just three days before Rice is due to attend an international conference on Iraq that will also include her counterparts from Syria and Iran.

ANI