The fight against the ISIS terror group is entering a new phase whose implementation requires intensified international efforts, head of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov said at a Security Council meeting, presenting the sixth report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in which he addressed the threat posed by the terror group. "
He stressed that despite significant military defeats suffered by the ISIS in Iraq, Syria and the southern Philippines last year, the group and its branches continue to pose a serious threat whose nature is changing. Voronkov said that "the ISIS no longer focuses on capturing and retaining territories".
According to Voronkov, the group "had to adapt itself" and is currently "a global network with the flat hierarchy and weakened operational control over its branches." "The terrorists now focus on small and motivated groups, which are ready to commit terrorist attacks and help others to prepare them," TASS cited him as saying.
At the same time he noted that the influx of militants to Iraq and Syria had "practically stopped," and the principal threat emanates from militants returning to their countries or move to other regions. The head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office drew attention to the collapse of the IS propaganda machine but warned that the group’s members continue to actively use modern means of communication.
Voronkov noted that "the rapidly changing transnational threat posed by the ISIS represents a complex challenge for the member-countries and the international community and also emphasizes the importance of exchanging information on the identities of returning foreign terrorists".
He advised countries "to redouble their efforts and strengthen international cooperation, combat terrorism and violent extremism," and hold accountable those responsible for committing terrorist attacks."
