NEW YORK CITY: Daesh remains an active and dangerous presence in the Middle East, the UN warned on Wednesday, as the group works to rebuild its operations in Syria and Iraq, even after the loss of senior leaders.
Vladimir Voronkov, the UN’s counterterrorism chief, told the Security Council that Daesh has maintained its operational capacity in the region and continues to exploit instability, especially in the Badia region of Syria and parts of the country under the control of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham.
“Daesh continues to exploit security gaps, engage in covert operations and incite sectarian tensions in Syria,” Voronkov said as he presented Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s 21st report on the threat posed by the terrorist organization.
The group also remains active in Iraq, he added, where it seeks to destabilize local authorities and reclaim influence.
The humanitarian and security situations in northeastern Syria remain “deeply concerning,” Voronkov warned, particularly in the camps and detention facilities that hold suspected terrorists and their families.
