Islamic State group still has thousands in Syria and Iraq and poses Afghan threat, UN experts say
1 year, 4 months ago

Islamic State group still has thousands in Syria and Iraq and poses Afghan threat, UN experts say

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The Islamic State group still commands between 5,000 and 7,000 members across its former stronghold in Syria and Iraq and its fighters pose the most serious terrorist threat in Afghanistan today, U.N. experts said in a report circulated Monday. The experts monitoring sanctions against the militant group, also known by its Arab acronym Daesh, said that during the first half of 2023 the threat posed by IS remained “mostly high in conflict zones and low in non-conflict areas.” But the panel said in a report to the U.N. Security Council that “the overall situation is dynamic,” and despite significant losses in the group’s leadership and reduced activity in Syria and Iraq, the risk of its resurgence remains. Northeast Syria is also the site of two closed camps – al-Hol and Roj – where the experts said some 55,000 people with alleged links or family ties to IS are living in “dire” conditions and “significant humanitarian hardship.” Approximately two-thirds of the population are children including over 11,800 Iraqis, nearly 16,000 Syrians and over 6,700 youngsters from more than 60 other countries, the experts said. In Afghanistan, the panel said U.N. members assess the Islamic State group poses the most serious terrorist threat to the country and the wider region.

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History of this topic

What is the Islamic State group and what attacks has it inspired?
1 week, 2 days ago

What is the Islamic State group and what attacks has it inspired?

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The FBI says it recovered the black banner of the Islamic State group from the truck that an American man from Texas smashed into New Year’s partygoers in New Orleans’ French Quarter, killing 15 people. The main group at peak strength claimed a handful of coordinated operations targeting the West, including a 2015 Paris plot that killed 130 …

Here’s how the US is countering the Islamic State group during Syria’s upheaval
1 month ago

Here’s how the US is countering the Islamic State group during Syria’s upheaval

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Massive U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State militants in Syria were meant in part as a message to the group and a move to ensure that it doesn’t try to take advantage of the chaos following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s government. The U.S. and its partners want to make sure the Islamic State group, which still has …

U.S., Iraqi forces raid targeting Islamic State group militants kills 15 in western desert
4 months, 1 week ago

U.S., Iraqi forces raid targeting Islamic State group militants kills 15 in western desert

The Hindu  

“The U.S. military took part in an Iraqi raid in the country’s western region that killed 15 people as forces targeted suspected militants from the Islamic State group,” the American military said early Saturday. For years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria, U.S. forces have continued fighting the Islamic State group, though the casualties …

UN envoy warns that threat of terrorism is `resurging’ with attacks by Islamic State extremists
5 months, 2 weeks ago

UN envoy warns that threat of terrorism is `resurging’ with attacks by Islamic State extremists

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The top U.N. envoy for Syria told the Security Council on Monday that the threat of terrorism is “resurging” with attacks by Islamic State extremists set to double this year, endangering civilians already facing a “protracted state of displacement and dire humanitarian conditions.” U.N. Special Envoy Geir Pedersen said Syria is “riddled with armed actors, listed terrorist …

Islamic State attacks on track to double in Iraq and Syria compared to last year, US military says
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Islamic State attacks on track to double in Iraq and Syria compared to last year, US military says

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — The U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that the Islamic State group is trying “to reconstitute” as the number of attacks in Syria and Iraq is on track to double this year, compared to the year before. According to a U.S. defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t allowed to speak publicly on the matter, …

A decade after Islamic State declared a caliphate, it’s diminished but still lethal
6 months, 1 week ago

A decade after Islamic State declared a caliphate, it’s diminished but still lethal

LA Times  

Iraqi army soldiers celebrate as they hold an Islamic State flag they captured during a military operation to regain control of a village outside Mosul in 2016. He added that the U.S.-led coalition continues to carry out reconnaissance and surveillance in order to provide Iraqi forces with intelligence, and the security forces “deal with this information directly.” Although Islamic State …

Expanding extremist groups in Africa fuel worries that they could attack the US or Western allies
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Expanding extremist groups in Africa fuel worries that they could attack the US or Western allies

Associated Press  

GABORONE, Botswana — Violent extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are growing in size and influence across Africa, fueling worries that as they improve their tactics they could attack the U.S. or Western allies. A senior U.S. defense official said al-Qaida linked groups — such as al-Shabab in Somalia and Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, known …

The Islamic State group poses rising threat in Africa despite progress, UN experts say
10 months, 3 weeks ago

The Islamic State group poses rising threat in Africa despite progress, UN experts say

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — 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. “Daesh affiliates continued to operate with increasingly more autonomy from the Daesh core,” he said, warning that if this trend persists there is a risk …

Iraq condemns U.S. airstrikes against Iran-linked groups
11 months, 1 week ago

Iraq condemns U.S. airstrikes against Iran-linked groups

NPR  

Iraq condemns U.S. airstrikes against Iran-linked groups Enlarge this image toggle caption Hadi Mizban/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Hadi Mizban/POOL/AFP via Getty Images BAGHDAD – Iraqi government officials on Saturday condemned U.S. airstrikes on Iran-linked targets in Iraq, saying the attacks showed that U.S. forces had become a threat to their host country — a sentiment that will likely hasten demands …

Islamic State group claims responsibility for Iran suicide bombings killing at least 84 people
1 year ago

Islamic State group claims responsibility for Iran suicide bombings killing at least 84 people

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Thursday for two suicide bombings targeting a commemoration for an Iranian general slain in a 2020 U.S. drone strike, the worst militant attack to strike Iran in decades as the wider Middle East remains on edge. “If we were just 10 steps further we would have been right over …

UN Report Says TTP and Affiliates Supply NATO-Calibre Weapons to ISIS
1 year, 4 months ago

UN Report Says TTP and Affiliates Supply NATO-Calibre Weapons to ISIS

News 18  

The Tehreek-i-Tali­ban Pakistan and other groups affiliated with the Taliban and Al Qaeda are providing NATO-calibre weapons to the members of Islamic State or Da’esh, according to a UN report discussed at a Security Council meeting in New York. “With the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Member States expressed concern over the proliferation of large quantities of weapons and other military …

UN experts say Islamic State group almost doubled the territory they control in Mali in under a year
1 year, 4 months ago

UN experts say Islamic State group almost doubled the territory they control in Mali in under a year

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Islamic State extremists have almost doubled the territory they control in Mali in less than a year, and their al-Qaida-linked rivals are capitalizing on the deadlock and perceived weakness of armed groups that signed a 2015 peace agreement, United Nations experts said in a new report. The experts cited some sources as saying the government believes that …

US warns military takeovers in Africa’s Sahel hamper fight against terrorism in the volatile region
1 year, 4 months ago

US warns military takeovers in Africa’s Sahel hamper fight against terrorism in the volatile region

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The United States warned Friday that the string of military takeovers in Africa’s Sahel region will hamper the fight against terrorism and demanded that Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers deny safe haven to terrorist groups including al-Qaida and the Islamic State. Their actions and their activities in Africa are destabilizing, and we’ve encouraged countries in Africa to condemn their …

UN says threat from Islamic State extremists remains high
1 year, 11 months ago

UN says threat from Islamic State extremists remains high

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The threat posed by Islamic State extremists remains high and has increased in and around conflict zones, and the group’s expansion is “particularly worrying” in Africa’s center, south and Sahel regions, the U.N. counter-terrorism chief said Thursday. Undersecretary-General Vladimir Voronkov told the U.N. Security Council that the group, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, continues to …

Security expert warns UN Africa could be future IS caliphate
2 years, 5 months ago

Security expert warns UN Africa could be future IS caliphate

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The threat from the Islamic State extremist group is growing by the day in Africa and the continent could be “the future of the caliphate,” an African security expert warned the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday. Martin Ewi said the Islamic State “has expanded its influence beyond measure” in Africa, with at least 20 countries directly experiencing …

ISIL-K Seeks to Recruit Members from Other Terror Groups; to Develop Threat Capability from Afghanistan: UN Report
2 years, 5 months ago

ISIL-K Seeks to Recruit Members from Other Terror Groups; to Develop Threat Capability from Afghanistan: UN Report

News 18  

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan seeks to strengthen its capabilities by recruiting members from other terror groups and if succeeded in regaining control over the lost territory in eastern Afghanistan, the outfit may prove difficult for the Taliban to reverse such gains, a UN report has said. Should it succeed, it may prove difficult for the Taliban to …

Islamic State in Afghanistan 'under control', say Taliban
3 years, 2 months ago

Islamic State in Afghanistan 'under control', say Taliban

India Today  

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said Wednesday that the threat posed by the Islamic State group in the country was “more or less under control” despite recent bloody attacks that have killed dozens. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference that IS was “not a great threat”, adding that around 600 members or sympathisers had been arrested since the Taliban seized control …

Islamic State claims responsibility for Afghan mosque blast that killed at least 46
3 years, 3 months ago

Islamic State claims responsibility for Afghan mosque blast that killed at least 46

LA Times  

At least 46 people were killed in an explosion targeting a Shiite Muslim mosque in Kunduz, Afghanistan, a Taliban police official says. An Islamic State suicide bomber struck a mosque packed with Shiite Muslim worshipers in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 46 people and wounding dozens in the latest security challenge to the Taliban as it transitions from …

Isis-K: Terrorist group that claimed Kabul bombing is threat to UK, warns former army general
3 years, 4 months ago

Isis-K: Terrorist group that claimed Kabul bombing is threat to UK, warns former army general

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Former military commander General Sir Richard Barrons spoke about …

Explainer: How dangerous is Afghanistan’s Islamic State?
3 years, 4 months ago

Explainer: How dangerous is Afghanistan’s Islamic State?

Associated Press  

The Islamic State offshoot that Americans blame for a deadly suicide attack outside the Kabul airport coalesced in eastern Afghanistan six years ago, and rapidly grew into one of the more dangerous terror threats globally. The Islamic State’s Central Asia affiliate sprang up in the months after the group’s core fighters swept across Syria and Iraq, carving out a self-styled …

U.S. braces for more ISIS attacks after Kabul airport carnage
3 years, 4 months ago

U.S. braces for more ISIS attacks after Kabul airport carnage

The Hindu  

U.S. forces helping to evacuate Afghans desperate to flee Taliban rule braced for more attacks on Friday after an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 85 people, including 13 U.S. soldiers outside the gates of Kabul airport. “We’re doing everything we can to be prepared,” he said,adding that some intelligence was being shared with the Taliban and that he believed “some …

Who are the Islamic State-Khorasan, group responsible for Kabul airport bombing?
3 years, 4 months ago

Who are the Islamic State-Khorasan, group responsible for Kabul airport bombing?

Firstpost  

The ‘sworn enemy’ of the Taliban, the affiliate of the extremist group, has long desired to attack America The Islamic State offshoot that the US blame for Thursday’s deadly suicide attacks outside the Kabul airport coalesced in eastern Afghanistan six years ago, and rapidly grew into one of the more dangerous terror threats globally. Speaking to CNN on Sunday, US …

Explainer: How dangerous is Afghanistan’s Islamic State?
3 years, 4 months ago

Explainer: How dangerous is Afghanistan’s Islamic State?

India TV News  

The Islamic State offshoot that Americans blame for Thursday’s deadly suicide attacks outside the Kabul airport coalesced in eastern Afghanistan six years ago, and rapidly grew into one of the more dangerous terror threats globally. While the Taliban have confined their struggle to Afghanistan, the Islamic State group in Afghanistan and Pakistan has embraced the Islamic State’s call for a …

What makes Afghanistan's Islamic State dangerous: Explainer
3 years, 4 months ago

What makes Afghanistan's Islamic State dangerous: Explainer

India Today  

The Islamic State offshoot that Americans blame for Thursday’s deadly suicide attacks outside the Kabul airport coalesced in eastern Afghanistan six years ago, and rapidly grew into one of the more dangerous terror threats globally. The Islamic State’s Central Asia affiliate sprang up in the months after the group’s core fighters swept across Syria and Iraq, carving out a self-styled …

What is ISIS-K, the terror group claiming the Kabul airport attack?
3 years, 4 months ago

What is ISIS-K, the terror group claiming the Kabul airport attack?

CNN  

CNN — In the space of just a few years, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan has seized on the country’s instability to become one of the region’s most feared terror groups. ISIS-K has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing attack outside Kabul airport on Thursday, which targeted a frantic Western evacuation operation and killed 13 US troops and more than …

Explainer: How dangerous is Afghanistan's Islamic State
3 years, 4 months ago

Explainer: How dangerous is Afghanistan's Islamic State

The Hindu  

The Islamic State offshoot that Americans blame for Thursday's deadly suicide attacks outside the Kabul airport coalesced in eastern Afghanistan six years ago, and rapidly grew into one of the more dangerous terror threats globally. Despite years of military targeting by the U.S.-led coalition, the group known as Islamic State Khorasan has survived to press more assaults as the United …

Who Are ISIS-K? The Terror Group Posing A Threat To Afghanistan
3 years, 4 months ago

Who Are ISIS-K? The Terror Group Posing A Threat To Afghanistan

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING ISIS-K presents a serious risk to the safety of all citizens desperately trying to escape Afghanistan through Kabul Airport. “The longer we stay, starting with the acute and growing risk of an attack by a terrorist group known as ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan — which is the sworn enemy of the Taliban as well — …

What is the Islamic State threat in Afghanistan?
3 years, 4 months ago

What is the Islamic State threat in Afghanistan?

Deccan Chronicle  

Kabul: As desperate Afghans crowd Kabul airport trying to get on any evacuation flights to flee the Taliban, officials have warned of another jihadist threat: the Islamic State group. President Joe Biden said there is "an acute and growing risk" of an attack at the airport by the group's regional chapter, called Islamic State-Khorasan or ISIS-K. Islamic State had been …

What is the Islamic State threat in Afghanistan?
3 years, 4 months ago

What is the Islamic State threat in Afghanistan?

India Today  

As desperate Afghans crowd Kabul airport trying to get on any evacuation flights to flee the Taliban, officials have warned of another jihadist threat: the Islamic State group. President Joe Biden said there is "an acute and growing risk" of an attack at the airport by the group's regional chapter, called Islamic State-Khorasan or ISIS-K. Islamic State had been highly …

Long before the Kabul bombing, ISIS-K was terrorizing Afghanistan
3 years, 4 months ago

Long before the Kabul bombing, ISIS-K was terrorizing Afghanistan

LA Times  

Afghan refugees crouch in a group as the British military secures the perimeter Thursday outside the Baron Hotel in Kabul after the bombing. “This is an embarrassment for the Taliban,” said Seth Jones, a terrorism expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. ISIS-K “managed to thumb its nose at the Taliban, getting suicide bombers …

Nations chart future steps against Islamic State extremists
3 years, 6 months ago

Nations chart future steps against Islamic State extremists

The Hindu  

As the U.S. works on its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group met on Monday to plot future steps against the extremist group. Mr. Blinken and Mr. Di Maio urged representatives of the 77 other countries and five organisations that make up the coalition not to drop their guard despite the destruction …

ISIS Not Just Regional Terror Outfit but Global Syndicate with Affiliated Groups Globally: India
3 years, 7 months ago

ISIS Not Just Regional Terror Outfit but Global Syndicate with Affiliated Groups Globally: India

News 18  

India has told the UN Security Council that the Islamic State is not just another regional terrorist outfit but a global syndicate with affiliated groups across the world, including in the country’s neighbourhood. Victims of ISIL’s horrific crimes also included 39 Indian nationals, he said at the Security Council briefing on Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by …

UN: Bring home kids from Syria with possible extremist links
3 years, 11 months ago

UN: Bring home kids from Syria with possible extremist links

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. counter-terrorism chief on Wednesday urged the repatriation of tens of thousands of women and children suspected of links to the Islamic State extremist group, warning that many are being radicalized in deteriorating detention camps in Syria and Iraq. He said Biden is committed to working with the international coalition that the U.S. established in 2014 …

Islamic State claims deadly and rare twin blasts in Baghdad
3 years, 11 months ago

Islamic State claims deadly and rare twin blasts in Baghdad

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — The Islamic State claimed responsibility for a rare suicide attack that rocked central Baghdad, killing 32 people and wounding dozens. The U.S.-led coalition recently ceased combat activities and is gradually drawing down its troop presence in Iraq, sparking fears of an IS resurgence. Elsewhere, in northern Iraq and the western desert, attacks continue and almost exclusively target Iraqi …

IS remains at centre of transnational terrorism threat: UN
4 years, 11 months ago

IS remains at centre of transnational terrorism threat: UN

India TV News  

A top UN official has said the Islamic State remains at the centre of the transnational terrorism threat, despite its defeat in Syria and the death of its longtime leader last year. Image Source : AP IS remains at centre of transnational terrorism threat: UN Northeast Syria has seen a spike in attacks targeting the international counter-IS coalition as well …

UN experts: Islamic State steps up attacks in Syria and Iraq
4 years, 11 months ago

UN experts: Islamic State steps up attacks in Syria and Iraq

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Islamic State extremists are mounting increasingly bold attacks in Syria and Iraq following their loss of territory in both countries and are planning for the breakout of their fighters in detention facilities, U.N. experts said in a new report. But the panel said unidentified U.N. member nations have made a provisional assessment that the strategic direction of …

Islamic State remains resilient in Afghanistan despite 'high pace' of operations by govt, international forces: Antonio Guterres
5 years, 4 months ago

Islamic State remains resilient in Afghanistan despite 'high pace' of operations by govt, international forces: Antonio Guterres

Firstpost  

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Islamic State extremist group remains resilient in Afghanistan despite ‘a high pace’ of operations against it by government and international forces United Nations: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Islamic State extremist group remains resilient in Afghanistan despite “a high pace” of operations against it by government and international forces — and is urging all armed …

Mike Pompeo says ISIS ‘more powerful’ in some places but downplays overall threat
5 years, 4 months ago

Mike Pompeo says ISIS ‘more powerful’ in some places but downplays overall threat

CNN  

Washington CNN — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday acknowledged that there are “places where ISIS is more powerful today than they were three or four years ago,” but sought to downplay the risk posed by the terrorist organization in the wake of a report warning of its resurgence in Syria. “We’ve taken down significant risk – not all …

Analysis: Does the Islamic State still pose a threat?
5 years, 10 months ago

Analysis: Does the Islamic State still pose a threat?

The Hindu  

Islamic State looks about to lose its last foothold — on the banks of the Euphrates near the Iraq border. What threat does the Islamic State still pose in Iraq and Syria? The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces holds many hundreds of Islamic State fighters and followers, but the numbers have ballooned as the SDF advanced into the area near Baghouz. …

Does Islamic State still pose a threat?
5 years, 10 months ago

Does Islamic State still pose a threat?

The Hindu  

Islamic State looks about to lose its last foothold - on the banks of the Euphrates near the Iraq border - but while its era of territorial rule may be over for now, there is near universal agreement that IS remains a threat. What threat does Islamic State still pose in Iraq and Syria? As Islamic State clung to its …

US officials warn ISIS’ Afghanistan branch poses a major threat
5 years, 10 months ago

US officials warn ISIS’ Afghanistan branch poses a major threat

CNN  

Washington CNN — ISIS’ Afghanistan-based affiliate has emerged as a major threat capable of carrying out direct attacks on the US and is actively using its members’ social media to acquire contacts in the United States, a US intelligence official in Afghanistan tells CNN. The US intelligence official said that the membership of ISIS-K includes “a small number of veteran …

Islamic State hold in Syria, Iraq on verge of collapse, but fight not over, says US commander General Joseph Votel
5 years, 11 months ago

Islamic State hold in Syria, Iraq on verge of collapse, but fight not over, says US commander General Joseph Votel

Firstpost  

General Joseph Votel, told a Senate committee on Tuesday that of the 34,000 square miles of territory that Islamic State once held, it now controls less than 20 square miles, but the coalition’s hard-won battlefield gains can only be secured by maintaining a vigilant offensive against the violent extremists Washington: President Donald Trump is expected to declare near-total triumph over …

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