The Islamic State group, losing territory and on the retreat in Iraq and Syria, has claimed credit for a surge in global attacks this summer, most of them in France and Germany.
The wave of attacks followed a call to strike against the West during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in June and July, in an apparent shift in strategy by the jihadi group, which has been hammered by two years of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and ground advances by local forces.
Instead of urging supporters to travel to its self-proclaimed "caliphate," it encouraged them to act locally using any means available.