Diary of Terror
Terror’s daily reality
To capture the toll of terror, the Los Angeles Times tracked every fatal act of terrorism around the world in April. By the end of the month, terror had struck 180 times, wounded 1,385 and killed 858.
To capture the toll of terror, the Los Angeles Times tracked every fatal act of terrorism around the world in April.
By the end of the month, terror had struck 180 times, wounded 1,385 and killed 858.
Civilian
Civilian man
Civilian woman
Civilian child
Identity unknown
Soldiers, police, armed groups
A story for every death
Use arrow keys to navigate between events
The attacks you don’t hear about
Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, America has been living in a state of perpetual watchfulness. Every few months, it seems, a terrorist attack here or abroad bloodies new victims: Paris. San Bernardino. Brussels. Orlando.
Is the world becoming more dangerous? Not necessarily. Last year, the number of deaths due to terrorism around the world actually decreased by 14%, according to the U.S. State Department, the biggest decline in more than a decade. But terrorist attacks have become more deadly, more indiscriminate and more wide-ranging.
Terror from the Americas to Asia
Of at least 180 terrorist acts in April, more than a quarter took place in Iraq.
Number of people killed by terrorist violence, April 2016
Terror every day
From April 1 to April 30, at least one person died each day in terrorism-related violence. The deadliest day was April 19, with attacks in six countries.
*This graphic does not visualize 132 deaths that occurred throughout April in Ramadi, Iraq. Chaotic conditions there prevent pinpointing the days deaths occurred.
23 terrorist groups in 27 countries
Islamic State and its affiliates were responsible for more deaths than any other terrorist group in April.
Manner of attacks
Bombs — buried in roads, worn in vests, hidden in vehicles — were the weapon of choice in April.
Methodology
The Times set out to document all the fatal terrorist attacks that occurred around the world in April 2016.
The definition of terrorism varies, but we chose to record incidents committed by non-state actors motivated by belief or ideology — attacks generally designed to send a message or destabilize society. The tally does not include what can be deemed conventional warfare, nor does it record incidents in which there were injuries but no deaths, or where only the perpetrators died.
The tally is based upon government and police reports, news accounts, terrorism data bases and independent reporting. In 55 of the 180 attacks documented, terrorist groups claimed responsibility. In 76 others, there was no claim, but a militant group was accused or suspected of responsibility. In 49 attacks, the perpetrator was unknown.
Contributing to this story were special correspondents in Kano, Nigeria; in Beirut; in Manila; in Cairo; in Istanbul, Turkey; in Kabul, Afghanistan; in Jerusalem; in Mumbai and in Islamabad, Pakistan. Times staff writers contributing were in Mumbai, India; in Johannesburg, South Africa; in Manila; and in Los Angeles. Researchers and , illustrator and developer in Los Angeles also contributed.