Infographics: ISIS Operations In 2022

Publishing infographics is one of the methods that extremist armed groups use in the best way to prove their existence. Meanwhile, it can be said that ISIS is both the pioneer and the most creative in this field. Every week, ISIS publishes an infographic of the results of its operations in the “Al-Naba” weekly newspaper, which seems to have a vital aspect for ISIS, because ISIS can say that it is still present in the field through this weekly constant infographic.

At the end of each year, one of the media activities of extremist groups is to publish annual statistics in the form of infographics. ISIS, as the leader of these groups, annually publishes a detailed infographic of its operations and their results, which can provide good information compared to previous years’ statistics. Accordingly, at the beginning of 2023, Amaq news agency (affiliated to ISIS) has published a detailed infographic of its operations during the past year (from 2022 to 2023).

According to the statistics, this terrorist group has carried out 2,058 terrorist operations in different regions of the world in 2022. These operations have killed and injured 6,881 people, including 154 officers and field commanders. The statistics included in this infographic are:

According to their types, ISIS operations include 579 bombing and roadside bombs, 840 attacks and armed conflicts, 230 assassinations, 152 ambushes, 25 inghimasi and suicide operations and 232 other types. Other results of these operations include the destruction and disabling of 765 vehicles, looting of 100 vehicles, the destruction of 2,310 houses and churches, and the destruction of 156 night vision cameras.

Most operations have been carried out in Nigeria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Its details by region are as follows:
Nigeria: 517 operations, 1412 killed and wounded
Iraq: 484 operations, 833 killed and wounded
Afghanistan: 181 operations, 1188 killed and wounded
Syria: 297 operations, 887 killed and wounded
Congo: 167 operations, 607 killed and wounded
Mozambique: 156 operations, 331 killed and wounded
Egypt: 95 operations, 263 killed and wounded
Pakistan: 58 operations, 118 killed and wounded
Mali: 22 operations, 827 killed and wounded
Somalia: 32 operations, 61 killed and wounded
Niger: 11 operations, 55 killed and wounded
Chad: 10 operations, 70 killed and wounded
Cameroon: 7 operations, 29 killed and wounded
Philippines: 6 operations, 54 killed and wounded
Burkina Faso: 4 operations, 46 killed and wounded
Libya: 3 operations, 9 killed and wounded
Benin: 2 operations, 7 killed and wounded
India: 2 operations, 4 killed and wounded
Iran: 1 operation, 60 killed and wounded
Palestine: 1 operation, 12 killed and wounded
Yemen: 1 operation, 5 killed and wounded
Uganda: 1 operation, 3 killed and wounded

Read more: Infographic: ISIS activity in Syria in 2020

At the first look at the statistics of 2021 and 2022, we notice that the number of ISIS operations in 2022 is 690 less than in 2021, and this is a sign of the weakening of ISIS in 2022. Also, the number of ISIS victims in 2022 is 1,158 less than in 2021. This decrease also shows that not only the quantity but also the quality of ISIS operations has declined compared to last year.

In the section of types of operations, we can see that ISIS had a better situation in various types of operations in 2021; The only thing in 2022 that is more than 2021 is the suicide and inghimasi operations, which are only two more. The most important difference in this section is the use of bombs and roadside bombs between 2021 and 2022. In 2022, ISIS used bomb and roadside bombs 486 times less than in 2021. This issue is worthy of consideration considering the significant reduction of ISIS operations in Iraq, because ISIS mostly uses roadside bombs in Iraq.

With the decrease of using roadside bombs by ISIS, it is natural that the number of vehicles destroyed by ISIS in 2022 will be much less than in 2021, a fact that is clearly visible when comparing the statistics of 2022 and 2021.

In the meantime, what attracts more attention, is the statistics of destroyed houses and churches in 2022. This increase is due to the targeting of Christians in Mozambique, Congo and Nigeria.

Another important aspects of the statistics about the regions is the significant reduction of ISIS operations in Iraq. Although ISIS operations in Iraq have increased in recent days, we can see that these operations have decreased in a long-term process. During 2022, ISIS has conducted 643 operations in Iraq less than in 2021. The number of ISIS victims in Iraq this year was 1,260 less than the previous year. This statistic clearly shows that the ISIS strength has decreased in Iraq.

It is noteworthy, although ISIS operations in Afghanistan, Syria and some other areas have decreased, but this trend has been insignificant. Therefore, the number of “operations” in Nigeria, and the number of “operations and victims” in Chad, Mozambique, Mali, Congo and Pakistan, and the number of “victims” in Syria, Egypt, the Philippines, Burkina Faso, and Libya have increased in 2022.

In the end, it should be said that despite the reduction of ISIS “operations” in Syria, the number of “victims” in Syria has increased, undoubtedly, this increase is due to ISIS operation on Ghuwairan prison in Hasakah and other ISIS operations against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The high number of victims in Mali and Burkina Faso is also due to the confrontation of ISIS with Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and the overall increase of operations and victims in Mozambique, Congo, and Nigeria is also due to the new approach of ISIS to Sub-Saharan Africa, meanwhile, the increase of victims in Egypt and the increase of operations and victims in Pakistan is also interesting.