UN warns Daesh threat remains 'volatile and complex' despite counter-terrorism efforts

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN warned on Wednesday that the Daesh (ISIS) terror group continues to pose a persistent threat to international peace and security, stressing the group's ability to adapt despite years of counter-terrorism operations.

"I am honored to brief the Security Council on the 21st report of the secretary-general on the threat posed by Daesh to international peace and security," Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov said at a Security Council meeting.

Saying that the "threat posed by Daesh remains volatile and complex," Voronkov said the terror group and its affiliates continue "to adapt and demonstrate resilience despite sustained counter-terrorism efforts."

While multiple leaders have been killed, he cautioned that "the group has managed to retain its operational capacity."

"Africa remains significantly affected, currently experiencing the highest intensity of Da'esh activity globally," he said, with West Africa and the Sahel facing particularly urgent threats.

In the Middle East, he said, Daesh "stays active in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, working to restore its operational capacity in the Badia region."

"The use of new and emerging technologies by listed terrorist groups remains a growing challenge," Voronkov said, warning that reports of Daesh seeking to recruit cybersecurity experts are "gravely concerning."

Natalia Gherman, executive director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), echoed Voronkov's concerns.

Gherman stressed that Africa bears "over half of the world's fatalities from terrorist attacks." She pointed to Daesh's use of artificial intelligence and social media for recruitment and propaganda.

"As we stand at the crossroads of technological transformation and geopolitical uncertainty, the threat of terrorism is more diffuse and complex," she added.

Gherman expressed the CTED's commitment to work with member states "to navigate those challenges in our common pursuit of a world free from terrorism."