DAMASCUS: Lockdowns caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) appeared to have reduced the threat of Islamic State (IS) group attacks in many countries, but the risk was greater in Iraq and Syria, a United Nations official said. While IS is now a shadow of the organization that occupied swathes of Iraq and Syria just a few years ago, it still has an estimated 10,000 fighters between those two countries. He did not specify which nations, but IS has claimed attacks in countries ranging from France to the Philippines. He added that there was evidence IS jihadists were regrouping in conflict zones like Iraq and Syria. In Libya IS jihadists number only in the hundreds, but the group remains a threat to the region.

Source: Manila Times August 25, 2020 16:18 UTC