certainly more than hype
It is a story based on analysis of the best (so far as I know) statistics available. A story that I haven't seen in any other new outlet.
The terrorist attacks in your "flypaper zone" are from terrorists that would likely not be killing anyone anywhere if we were not there. That's pure found terrorism. The fact that we caused it to be seems to slide right past your consciousness every time.
A rate of anything going from 7.2 to 9 per year *is* significant. Think of the murder rate in your town making a consistent change like that.