Terrorism Resources

International Terrorism in 1997: A Statistical View DCI Counterterrorist Center March 1998 View Charts The number of international terrorist incidents in 1997 was only slightly higher than in 1996, when recorded incidents were fewer than at any time since 1971, but US interests worldwide remained a primary target for terrorists. A total of 304 international terrorist incidents were recorded during 1997, as compared to 296 in 1996. The number of casualties from terrorist incidents in 1997 was significantly lower than in 1996, however. Two hundred twenty-one persons were killed and 693 others injured during attacks in 1997, as compared to 314 persons killed and 2,912 wounded in 1996. US citizens and facilities at home and abroad were the targets of approximately 40 percent of international terrorist attacks, up from 25 percent in 1996, although only seven US citizens lost their lives to terrorism and 21 were injured in 1997 as compared to 25 killed and 510 injured in 1996. There were 13 recorded incidents of international terrorism on US soil in 1997; there were none in both 1996 and 1995. Continuing the trend of the last several years, terrorists in 1997 carried out the majority of their attacks against civilian targets rather than against increasingly well-protected government and military installations and personnel. Of a total of 439 attacks against facilities worldwide in 1997, 398 were against business or nonofficial installations, and 139 civilians were victims of terrorist attacks as compared to 39 who were government officials or military officers.