ISIL-K's new leader heads India operations; likely had earlier affiliation with Haqqani network: UN

Global terror group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan's new leader Shihab al-Muhajir heads its operations in India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka and is said to have had an earlier affiliation with the dreaded Haqqani Network, according to a report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The 12th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of member states in countering the threat said that ISIL-K currently has 1,000-2,200 fighters in Afghanistan spread across several provinces. Shihab al-Muhajir announced as the group's new leader in June 2020, reportedly heads ISIL operations in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and states in Central Asia. Member states, UN experts raise concerns "Member states and United Nations experts have also raised the concern that terrorists may be seeking to exploit new vulnerabilities resulting from the ongoing global health crisis, including by forging opportunistic alliances with organised criminal groups," the UN Secretary-General said in the report, adding that in the longer term, the economic downturn and the diversion of government resources in the wake of the pandemic could weaken national counter-terrorism efforts and international cooperation and assistance.