Rabat, May 12 (IANS): Africa has become the main target of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group by suffering 41 per cent of all its attacks worldwide, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita told a ministerial conference of the Global Coalition against the IS.

The number of terrorist attacks in Africa surged compared to the pre-pandemic period, with an average of 40 to 60 per cent rise in terms of fatalities and attacks, he said on Wednesday.

"Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 48 per cent of global terrorism deaths -- with 3,461 casualties, bringing the death toll to 30,000 people during the last 15 years," said Bourita, adding 27 terrorist entities based in Africa are registered on the UN Security Council sanction list.

According to Bourita, Sahel has become home to the world's fastest growing and most deadly terrorist groups, accounting for 35 per cent of global terrorism deaths in 2021, compared with just 1 per cent in 2007, Xinhua news agency reported.

"African economy lost during the last years more than $171 billion because of the terror threat which now reached the Atlantic coasts and its shipping routes," he said.

According to Morocco's national radio, the ministerial conference was attended by more than 40 Ministers, including 38 Foreign Ministers, who discussed regional security and stability, international cooperation and measures to cut the financial support of terrorism.