The Islamic State extremist group poses a rising threat amid political instability in West Africa and the Sahel and remains intent on carrying out attacks abroad, the U.N. counter-terrorism chief said Thursday. Vladimir Voronkov reiterated U.N. findings that IS continues to pose a significant threat to international peace and security, especially in conflict zones, despite significant progress by U.N. member nations in countering the threat. The group has also increased operations in its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria as well as Southeast Asia, Voronkov said. Voronkov, who heads the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism, said countering the threat of terrorism in Africa remains a priority for his office. The Islamic State group broke away from al-Qaida over a decade ago and attracted supporters from around the world.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 16, 2024 12:41 UTC