UN says Daesh/ISIS terror group continues to pose significant threat in conflict zones

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal

TORONTO (AA) - The UN on Friday said the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization still poses a significant threat in conflict zones.

The Security Council held a session on the latest report prepared by Secretary General Antonio Guterres on threat posed by the group to international peace and security.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov said in his speech that the threat "remains low in non-conflict areas," but the increasing violence by the terror outfit and its affiliated groups, especially in some regions of Africa, is worrying. The conflict in Sudan worsened the situation, he added.

"Daesh and its affiliates continue to constitute a serious threat in conflict zones and neighboring countries," Voronkov said.

He said there are about 20 different terrorist organizations in Afghanistan besides Daesh/ISIS, pointing out the seriousness of the security situation in the country.

The official argued that the terrorist organization has become "less hierarchical and more networked, decentralized" thanks to the efforts to combat terrorism, and that the situation in the camps where its members are kept in Syria continues to be bad.