Nigeria Terror Attacks Among Deadliest Globally, New Index Reveals

The 2026 Global Terrorism Index has identified two attacks in Nigeria among the most lethal globally, highlighting the continued severity of violence in parts of the country’s northeast.

One of the incidents occurred on September 5, 2025, in Darajamal in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State. According to the report, armed men attacked the village, killing 58 residents and five soldiers. Security forces later killed about 30 of the attackers in a response operation. No group officially claimed responsibility, although local accounts linked the assault to Islamic State West Africa Province.

The report placed the Darajamal attack as the 10th deadliest terrorist incident worldwide for the year under review.

A second incident in Nigeria was ranked 12th globally. It took place on May 15, 2025, when militants struck the nearby communities of Mallam Karamti and Kwatandashi in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The attackers reportedly rounded up around 100 civilians and moved them into nearby forested areas. Authorities later recovered 57 bodies, while about 70 people were still unaccounted for at the time of reporting. The assault has been attributed in media accounts to a faction of Boko Haram.

Beyond Nigeria, the report pointed to Burkina Faso as the location of the deadliest terrorist attack in 2025. On October 9, militants struck a military position between Djibo in Soum Province and Namsiguia in Bam Province, killing more than 120 soldiers and leaving 30 others missing. The attack was claimed by Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen.

Another major incident in Burkina Faso occurred between April 1 and 3 in Sourou Province, within the Boucle du Mouhoun region. Coordinated assaults on multiple villages left at least 100 people dead, including civilians and local defense personnel, while several individuals were abducted.