07 June 2016

News Story: Global threat from Islamic States remains high, UN chief says

UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- "The global threat emanating from ISIL (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) remains high and continues to diversity," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report issued here on Monday.

The continued military pressure exerted in Iraq and Syria by international coalition forces has led to serious military setbacks for ISIL, Ban said in his 21-page report to the UN Security Council.

NOT YET WEAKENED

"However, even though the territorial expansion of ISIL in both States has been halted and, in part reversed over recent months, many (UN) member states have noted that ISIL is not yet strategically and irreversibly weakened."

"A worrying factor is that no member state has reported that ISIL is short on, or lacks, arms or ammunition," he said in the report, compiled on the basis of information from all the 193 UN member states.

Over the past six months alone, "ISIL has carried out, inspired, or claimed responsibility for, terrorist attacks in Bangladesh, Belgium, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Turkey and the United States of America," he said. "The attacks have killed more than 500 individuals and injured hundreds more."

Read the full story at Xinhua