Significant Kidnappings by Country
from 2014 as of 24 Sep. 2014

The following charts show significant kidnappings by the country the hostage was taken from. It covers incidents tracked in the ICD Hostage Component in 2014 as of 24 Sep. 2014.

A total of 85 significant kidnappings were tracked during the period. Libya dominated the results with 28% (24) of significant kidnappings during the period occurring there. Cameroon came in second at 16% (14). Syria came in third at 13% (11) with Yemen following closely behind at 9% (8). Numbers for all of these countries in addition to Iraq, Nigeria, Philippines and Algeria are expected to rise throughout 2014.

Significant increases in kidnappings in Syria, Libya, Cameroon and Yemen has surpassed kidnappings by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in its area of operation in Africa which has long dominated as the most active area for significant kidnappings.

This report does not include mass kidnappings of 25 or more people. Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq are currently dominating this category.

Methodology Note:
Significant kidnappings typically include those conducted or likely conducted by terrorist or rebel groups of individuals who fall outside of local national targets. They are kidnappings that are generally more complex and involve additional resources and planning due to the nature of the nationality of the victim or the prominence of his or her employer. This analysis only looked at kidnappings that occurred during the period and not the total number of hostages still being held in these countries. Mass kidnapping of 25 or more people were not counted. This report also does not reflect hostages who have been taken but not publicly acknowledged as being kidnapped. Actual kidnapping numbers are usually higher then shown here as a result. Full records for all kidnappings used in this chart are in the ICD Hostage Component.

The IntelCenter Database (ICD) allows users to easily create charts tracking hostage job/role, nationality, location of kidnapping and many other metrics related to terrorist and rebel kidnappings. As of 25 Sep. 2014, the ICD has detailed records on more than 330 hostages. IntelCenter also provides analytical support services on terrorist and rebel messaging efforts.

Reporting and original source materials are contained in the IntelCenter Database (ICD). Sign up for a free 10-day trial of the ICD and see additional details by clicking here. IntelCenter has available similar analysis for other groups and subjects. For more information, to schedule an online WebEx demo or to discuss how IntelCenter can assist with your needs, email info@intelcenter.com or call 800-719-8750.