Over 10,000 Islamic State fighters active in Iraq, Syria: U.N.

Over 10,000 Islamic State fighters active in Iraq, Syria: U.N. Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment ...

Over 10,000 Islamic State fighters active in Iraq, Syria: U.N.

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Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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Key points –  

1. More than 10,000 Islamic State fighters are estimated to remain active in Iraq and Syria two years after the militant group’s defeat, and their attacks have significantly increased this year.
2. The global threat from IS is likely to increase if the international community fails to meet this challenge, the head of the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism warned. 

Highlights – 

1. Islamic State fighters move freely “in small cells between the two countries.
2. The Islamic State extremist group — also known as IS, ISIL and ISIS — has regrouped and its activity has increased not only in conflict zones like Iraq and Syria but also in some regional affiliates.
3. However, in non-conflict zones, the threat appears to have decreased in the short term.
4. Measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19, such as lockdowns and restrictions on movement, seem to have reduced the risk of terrorist attacks in many countries.
5. Nonetheless, there is a continued trend of attacks by individuals inspired online and acting alone or in small groups, which could be fueled by ISIL’s opportunistic propaganda efforts during the COVID-19 crisis.
6. The pandemic’s impact on IS recruitment and fundraising activities remains unclear, and there is no clear indication of a change in the extremist group’s strategic direction under its leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi.

IS in Africa – 

1. The Islamic State in West Africa Province remains a major focus of IS global propaganda, and its total membership of approximately 3,500 makes it one of the largest of the remote `provinces.’
2. It continues to reinforce links with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, which remains the most dangerous group in the tri-border area of Burkina Faso, Mali, and the Niger.
3. In Afghanistan, IS’s affiliate has conducted high-profile attacks in various parts of the country, including Kabul, and seeks to use Afghan territory to spread its influence across the region and to attract fighters who oppose the recent peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban.

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