How ideological network influences terrorist attack tactics? An empirical study

ABSTRACT Global news reflects the inefficiency of the current counterterrorism strategy. The number of terrorist attacks worldwide continues to grow. Multiple studies have not yet discovered how the configuration of links among terrorists drives their choice of attack. Using “the starfish and the spider” framework, this empirical study examines both the centralised and decentralised structures of the terrorist network. We draw the network from operational tactics of different ideologies. Focusing on the types of attacks, we explore similarities in terrorist operations, discern clusters among ideological movements, and draw the structure of terrorist networks over time. The findings contribute to an improved understanding of the operational conception of violent groups. It was found that almost half of ideological movements connect through clusters with several links stable over decades. These networks transformed from a centralised (spider) hierarchy to a decentralised (starfish) structure and eventually evolved into the combination of two – a hybrid organisation.