UNITED NATIONS, Jun 9 (APP): The threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) and its associates remains high and continues to diversify, the top United Nations political official has told the Security Council and warned of an increased risk of a major international attack.
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told the
15-member Counil on Wednesday that while military setbacks in Iraq and Syria account for an increased in the rate of returnee foreign terrorist fighters, “ISIL is yet to be strategically or irreversibly weakened.”
He also warned of an inflow of arms and ammunition directly or
indirectly into ISIL-held territory.
“Given its recent military setbacks, ISIL may be moving into a new
phase, elevating the role of its affiliates; trying to move funds outside the current zones of conflict; and increasing the risk of complex, multi-wave and international attacks,” Feltman cautioned.
Although it had lost territory in Iraq, it still controls the large city
of Mosul, and swathes of northern Syria.
These observations are part of the second “Report of the
Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat” released on 31 May 2016.
The report notes that for the first time since declaring its self-styled
Caliphate in June 2014, the terrorist group was trying to compensate for a loss in oil revenues by increasing its illegal revenue sources such as smuggling and kidnapping.
Significant numbers of foreign terrorist fighters are continuing to join
Daesh from around the world, Feltman said.
