UN Warns ISIS Remains a Serious Global Threat Despite Military Setbacks

UN website

UN Security Council's meeting on Wednesday.

The United Nations has warned that ISIS continues to pose a serious threat to international peace and security despite sustained counter-terrorism operations that have weakened its leadership and reduced its ability to coordinate attacks centrally.

Addressing the UN Security Council on 5 August 2026, Ogulgerin Niyazberdiyeva, Director of the Office of the Acting Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, presented the Secretary-General's latest report on the threat posed by ISIS. She said the terrorist group remains resilient, adaptable and capable of exploiting fragile security environments and prolonged conflicts.

According to the report, the threat is most severe in parts of Africa, particularly the Sahel region and the Lake Chad Basin, where several ISIS affiliates have expanded their operations and strengthened their capabilities. The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) was identified as the group's most active affiliate, with an increasing ability to acquire and deploy commercial drones.

The report also highlighted developments in Syria, where recent political and security changes have altered the threat landscape. The closure of the al-Hol camp earlier this year has raised fresh concerns, with the whereabouts of thousands of former residents still unknown. The UN renewed its call for the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of displaced people in accordance with international law.

In Iraq, the UN acknowledged that sustained counter-terrorism operations have significantly reduced ISIS's capabilities. However, it stressed that preventing the group's resurgence will require strong institutions, effective justice systems, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, and measures to address the underlying conditions that allow extremism to flourish.

The report also warned that ISIS-Khorasan remains one of the organisation's most capable branches in South Asia, continuing to recruit members, plan attacks and inspire operations beyond Afghanistan.

The United Nations urged the international community to strengthen cooperation against terrorism, stressing that no country can tackle the threat alone. It called for greater intelligence sharing, stronger border security, closer judicial cooperation and coordinated efforts to disrupt terrorist financing.

UN officials also expressed growing concern over ISIS's increasing use of artificial intelligence, encrypted communications, digital platforms, virtual assets and drones to recruit supporters, spread propaganda and plan attacks. They stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation, including with the private sector, while ensuring that the use of new technologies complies with international law.

Speaking before the Security Council, Carmen Cantor, Deputy Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, said terrorist organisations are increasingly exploiting social media, encrypted messaging applications, online gaming platforms and artificial intelligence to expand their reach, recruit followers and raise funds.

She warned that terrorist propaganda has evolved into an operational tool that enables extremist groups to mobilise resources, facilitate cross-border activities and finance operations through digital platforms.

Cantor also highlighted growing concerns over the misuse of drones and the increasing links between terrorism and organised crime, calling for stronger international cooperation to protect critical infrastructure, improve information sharing and prevent terrorist movements.

The United Nations stressed that counter-terrorism efforts must remain firmly rooted in international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law, arguing that respect for these principles is essential to ensuring the effectiveness and long-term success of global efforts against terrorism.

Ahead of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism on 21 August, observed this year under the theme "Healing Through Remembrance", the UN paid tribute to victims and survivors of terrorism worldwide and announced a high-level commemorative event featuring survivor testimonies, messages from senior UN officials and a global minute of silence.


PUKMEDIA