(United Nations) A senior UN official in the fight against terrorism expressed concern Thursday about the strengthening of the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group, “capable of carrying out attacks abroad” and which represents “the greatest external terrorist threat” in Europe.
“Two of the threats highlighted in reports over the past few years have unfortunately manifested themselves since my last presentation” six months ago, Vladimir Voronkov, UN under-secretary-general for counter-terrorism, told the Security Council.
“The first is the threat that ISIS-K [État islamique d’Iraq et du Levant-Khorasan, ou EI-K]a group affiliated with Daesh in Afghanistan, is carrying out terrorist attacks abroad,” he noted, referring in particular to the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow that killed 145 people in March.
ISIS-K has “improved its financial and logistical capabilities over the past six months, including by leveraging support from the Afghan and Central Asian diaspora” and has “intensified its recruitment efforts,” he added.
The threat posed by ISIS-K has led to “an increase in terrorist threat levels in Europe” where the group is seen as “the greatest external terrorist threat,” he said.
The latest report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on this issue, published at the end of July, notes in particular that under these conditions, the authorities have become concerned about certain major events such as the Olympic Games currently taking place in Paris or the Euro 2024 football tournament.
He therefore calls on “all Member States to unite to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a hotbed of terrorist activity with repercussions on other countries.”
The second threat that has emerged in recent months, according to Vladimir Voronkov, is “the resurgence of the central structure” of ISIS in the Middle East.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for attacks abroad by its Afghan branch, using them to launch a propaganda “campaign,” he noted. And the group has also “increased the pace of its operations” in Syria.
“Continued counterterrorism efforts will be necessary to prevent Daesh from taking advantage of these gains,” the UN official insisted.
He also reiterated his concern about the entrenchment of groups affiliated with the Islamic State in Africa, particularly in West Africa and the Sahel where they have “extended and consolidated their areas of operations.”
If these groups were to extend their influence further, “a vast territory extending from Mali to northern Nigeria could fall under their effective control,” he warned, also mentioning a strengthening of IS affiliates in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia.