Islamic State group remains a threat, especially in Africa, UN says

The Islamic State group, the terror organization otherwise known as ISIS or ISIL, is still an active threat, according to the head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. The group is most active in West Africa and the larger Sahel region of the continent, Vladimir Voronkov told the UN Security Council Wednesday while presenting an annual report on the group.

Its West Africa branch produces prolific propaganda, and has attracted terrorist fighters from both within and outside of the region, he said. The branch has an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 fighters. Arrests in Libya also uncovered logistics and financing networks connected to the Islamic State group in the Sahel, Voronkov said. Several members of the UN Security Council also reported that the terrorist group might be recruiting cybersecurity experts, which was gravely concerning, he said.

The deaths of several Islamic State group leaders haven’t kept the organization from maintaining its operational capacity, Voronkov said. The group would likely recover from the March death of its deputy leader in charge of operational planning within six months, he said.

What’s the status of the terrorist group in other countries?

• In Somalia, the Islamic State group was weakened in a fight with Somali security forces, Voronkov said. About 200 of its fighters were killed and over 150 arrested. However, the group still had support networks in the area, he said.

• The Islamic State group was also actively working to destabilize local authorities in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, according to Voronkov. It carried out several large attacks, including bombing a church in Damascus. It also captured several stockpiles of weapons, he said.

• Refugee and detention camps in northeastern Syria housing about 35,000 women and children linked to the group risk becoming incubators of terrorism, Voronkov said.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s feature story on a section of U.S. communications law that opponents argue allows terrorism and crime to proliferate.