(Times of Israel) There were fewer suicide attacks worldwide in 2015 than 2014, "only" 452 as compared with 592, according to a new report by an Israeli research team.
But drawing conclusions from a mere comparison of the overall figures is "not smart," cautions Yoram Schweitzer, the head of the Program on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies. For one thing, the 2014 figure was strikingly high (2013 saw a markedly lower 382 suicide attacks), so nobody should start feeling encouraged. For another, Schweitzer and his team — project coordinator Daria Schitrit and team members Smadar Shaul and Einav Yogev — employ a sophisticated methodology to keep track of suicide terrorism statistics that goes well beyond simple totals.