evidence: During the Troubles, the 1970s were, by far, the deadliest years of the conflict. Over 2,000 of the more than 3,500 people killed during the Troubles died in the 1970s, with 480 deaths (over 13 percent of the total) coming in 1972 alone. The death toll fell from the mid-1970s onward as paramilitaries began losing the support of some of their local communities, and tactics changed to favor bombings and guerilla tactics over more direct engagements. Over 3,000 of the killings during the troubles have been attributed to paramilitary groups, with the IRA responsible for over half of these. [...] University of Ulster. "Total Number of Deaths per Year during The Troubles (The Northern Ireland Conflict) from 1969 to 2001." Statista, Statista Inc., 25 Jul 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1401907/ni-troubles-deaths-annual/ [...] Total number of deaths per year during the Troubles (the Northern Ireland Conflict) from 1969 to 2001 [Graph], University of Ulster, July 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1401907/ni-troubles-deaths-annual/