This study investigates the relationship between terrorist credit claims and government counterterrorism efforts, focusing on the impact of claims on group survival. Using data from the Extended Data on Terrorist Groups (EDTG) and Global Terrorism Database (GTD), we find that groups issuing credit claims have shorter lifespans than groups that remain silent. We are unable, however, to connect this increased mortality to government counterterrorism efforts even though government action is supposed to deter groups from issuing credit claims. Instead, we find that credit claiming groups are more likely to merge with other terrorist organizations, splinter apart, or fade away through inactivity. These findings raise questions about how the prospect of government counterterrorism efforts influences terrorist activity. The idea that the threat of government retaliation dissuades groups from issuing credit claims may require a reassessment.