Despite terrorism having been around for centuries, terrorism trends in Europe have changed completely over the past two decades, with attacks no longer having a clear purpose, according to crime historian Eddie Attard.

Mr Attard’s book, It-Terroriżmu fl-Ewropa

“Internal terrorism seems to have stopped, with most of the recent attacks being triggered from outside of Europe, allegedly caused by religious differences.

“Interestingly, France and the UK seem to be of particular interest to these terrorists. Why have Italy and Eastern European countries not been targeted? Is it an issue of security or are the latter not considered a threat?” the former police officer asked.

Speaking to the Times of Malta following research ahead of the publication of his new book, It-Terroriżmu fl-Ewropa (Terrorism in Europe), Mr Attard noted that in the past, whether triggered by religious groups or related to territory or power, there was always an understood aim of terrorism.

There no longer seems to be clear scope for such attacks.

The UN has yet to come up with a definition of terrorism. It is believed this decision has been put off, as it could incense those of religious faith.

Still, the use of violence for political reasons, to instill fear and anxiety or compel an institution to take – or to stop – an action, are considered to be acts of terrorism. From January 1970 to July 2017, there were 18,811 terrorist attacks in Europe, which cost 11,288 lives.

Although documented acts of terrorism in Europe date back some 2,000 years, the first time it was so labelled was during the French Revolution of 1789.

Internal attacks seem to have stopped; most are now triggered outside Europe

In It-Terroriżmu fl-Ewropa – the first in a series – Mr Attard focuses on Spain, the UK, France and Italy. These are the European countries that have hosted the largest number of attacks.

Mr Attard, who has also published an encyclopaedia about worldwide assassinations, trails the story of Italy’s Brigate Rosse, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Spanish Euskadi Ta Askatasuna and the Irish Republican Army in the UK, among others.

Recently, the most common justification for terrorism has been religion. In 2013, the militant organisations Isis, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram were responsible for 66 per cent of terrorist attacks around the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index.

However, religious terrorism dates back to at least 1605, when the Gunpowder Plot in London triggered fighting between Catholics and Protestants.