FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 94 - ENGLISH

59 INTERNATIONAL OTHER SCENARIOS AND NEW ACTORS Beyond the African continent, South Asia once again stood out as a region of great instability. Much of the deterioration seen over the past year in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and sev- eral Central Asian states is attributed to the instrumental use of terrorism by cer- tain governments. According to the ex- ecutive summary of the 2025 Yearbook, some state actors appear to have opted to weaken neighbouring governments by encouraging or supporting attacks car- ried out by jihadist groups with whom they share tactical interests. As for the new players, and in contrast to the traditional global reach of organisa- tions such as Islamic State or Al-Qaeda, an increasing number of jihadist groups are focusing their activities on local or re- gional targets, with the aim of strength- ening their control and governance capa- bilities in areas where they already wield influence. Examples of this include Hayat al-Sham, JNIM and Al-Shabaab. The situation in Syria is also reshap- ing the landscape. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024 and the rise to power of a government led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a new vul- nerability has emerged that the Islamic State could exploit, capitalising on both sectarian conflicts and old and new social divisions. LOW-IMPACT TERRORISM IN EUROPE The OIET Yearbook highlights that, since late 2017, Europe has been experiencing a period characterised by unsophisticated, low-casualty attacks carried out by lone actors. The nine jihadist attacks recorded in 2025 fit this pattern, which is marked by processes of autonomous radicalisa- tion and the absence of direct operational links to established terrorist networks. This situation is largely due to advances in counter-terrorism, which have made it possible to thwart several plans to carry out large-scale attacks. During 2025, at- tacks intended to cause a high number of casualties were prevented, some of which were planned for the Christmas period in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. However, a growing challenge persists: the radicalisation of young people, in- cluding minors, particularly in Western countries. In recent years, attacks have been carried out by individuals with in- creasingly diverse profiles younger and younger, and operations at advanced stages of planning have also been called off. At the same time, there are concerns about the role of social media, video games and the prison environment as venues for recruitment or indoctrination. THE GAZA CONFLICT The Yearbook also highlights that the “genocide in Gaza and the attacks of 7 October 2023” have been systematically used by jihadist organisations to legiti- mise further acts of violence. Throughout 2025, various groups have continued to disseminate messages urging their fol- lowers to attack Israeli interests, both within the country and abroad, as well as to act against Jewish communities in different parts of the world. This kind of propaganda has been taken up by some individuals who have decided to take action, as seen in the attacks carried out at a synagogue inManchester in Octo- ber and during the Hanukkah celebrations on a beach in Sydney in December.