United Nations, Jul 31 (AP) The threat posed by Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and their affiliates is most pronounced in areas of Africa, with growing concerns in Syria, a region both groups consider crucial for international operations, according to a recent UN report.
The report, presented to the UN Security Council and distributed on Wednesday, highlights the territorial expansion of West Africa’s al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and East Africa’s al-Shabab.
The sanctions monitoring team outlined the shift towards Africa, attributed partly to Islamic State setbacks in the Middle East due to intensified counterterrorism efforts.
Additionally, they noted rising worries about foreign terrorist fighters returning to Central Asia and Afghanistan, potentially destabilizing regional security.
The Islamic State remains Europe's and the Americas' primary threat, often through individuals radicalized online, particularly by the Khorasan group based in Afghanistan, as per the experts.
In the U.S., they reported that some alleged terror plots were driven by the conflict between Gaza and Israel or individuals radicalized by IS, also known as ISIL.
The experts cited an incident involving an American pledging allegiance to IS who drove into a New Orleans crowd on January 1, resulting in 14 deaths, marking the deadliest attack by either al-Qaeda or the Islamic State in the U.S. since 2016.
They also mentioned foiled attacks, such as an ISIL-inspired mass shooting plot at a military base in Michigan, and threats from IS Khorasan targeting Americans.
In Africa’s Sahel, JNIM has broadened its operations, enjoying "relative freedom" in northern Mali and much of Burkina Faso.
The Islamic State is also reasserting itself in the Greater Sahara, particularly along the Niger-Nigeria border, aiming for deeper entrenchment.
“JNIM reached a heightened level of operational effectiveness, carrying out sophisticated attacks using drones, improvised explosive devices, and large combatant numbers against fortified barracks,” the experts observed.
In East Africa, al-Shabab remains robust, ramping up activities in southern and central Somalia and maintaining its Houthi connections in Yemen, with reciprocal weapon exchanges and training reported.
Syria is described as being in a “volatile and precarious phase” six months after President Bashar Assad’s removal, with anonymous states alerting to the rising threat from IS and al-Qaeda.
The 27-page report notes over 5,000 foreign fighters' participation in the December 8 military capture of Damascus.
Syria’s interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, from the rebel coalition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS—initially al-Qaeda-linked before breaking away— has pledged a transition to inclusive democratic governance, though doubts persist.
The experts aired concerns about the Syrian military’s senior appointments naming several leaders of Syrian armed factions and foreigners at high ranks.
“Many of these appointees' ideological leanings are unclear, with some likely having violent extremist affiliations and external goals,” they added.
HTS’s control in Syria poses financial hurdles for the Islamic State, potentially lowering its income.
Fighter wages have dropped to USD 50-70 monthly, with family support at USD 35, signifying financial strain, with prior amounts undisclosed by the experts.
Al-Qaeda and Islamic State adapt their fund-raising tactics based on location, leveraging community resources, abductions for ransom, and local businesses.
Predominantly relying on cash and informal hawala systems, the Islamic State increasingly uses women couriers and cloud-based data storage to elude tracking, along with “safe drop boxes” allowing money to be collected with passwords or codes at exchange points. (AP) GRS
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