UN Warns ISIL Poses Persistent, Complex Threat

ISIL and groups associated with it are growing in West Africa and the Sahel region while continuing to stage attacks in Iraq and Syria, Alexandre Zouev, an official with the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism, told the Security Council.

"In Afghanistan, ISIL in Khorasan continues to pose one of the most serious threats to the region and beyond," he said.

Zouev said a shooting rampage against a Jewish festival at a beach in Australia in December that left 15 people dead was inspired by ISIL ideology.

Late last month ISIL claimed responsibility for a rare attack on the main airport in Niger. This confirmed its rising power in the Sahel.

Days earlier ISIL claimed an attack on a Chinese restaurant in Kabul that left seven people dead.

In Syria, the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Foces (SDF) from areas where they ran prisons holding thousands of jihadists and camps housing their families has created instability.

Fearing breakouts, the United States has started transferring these prisoners to neighboring Iraq.

"The group and its affiliates continued to adapt and demonstrate resilience," Zouev said.

"Despite sustained counter-terrorism pressure, they continued to recruit foreign terrorist fighters and to enhance their use of new and emerging technologies," he added.

Natalia Gherman, head of the U.N. Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, part of the secretary general's office, described how ISIL is updating its operations.

"Daesh and other terrorist groups have expanded their use of virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies, alongside cyber tools, unmanned aircraft systems and advanced applications of artificial intelligence," she said, using the Arabic acronym for the ISIL group.

She added: "Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used by terrorist groups specifically for the radicalization and recruitment of people, with a particular focus on youth and children."