NEW YORK (AP) – The militant group Al-Qaeda, aided by stable leadership and the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, is growing in strength in regions around the world, according to a new report released by the United Nations, with several countries saying it is outpacing the Daesh terrorist group to be the top global threat in the long-term.
In a UN Security Council report, the international body looked into the activities of Al-Qaeda, Daesh and other militant groups, concluding that the threat of Al-Qaeda and Daesh remains high in conflict-hit regions and neighboring countries.
While the two terrorist groups have largely receded from news headlines since Daesh lost vast amounts of territories it controlled in Iraq and Syria, the UN points to the continued presence of Daesh terrorists in the two countries, estimating their total strength to be between 6,000 and 10,000 militants.
Daesh currently poses an immediate risk, while several countries view Al-Qaeda as the top long-term threat.
“Member States continue to judge that ISIL (Daesh) poses the more immediate threat in this regard, although some regard Al-Qaeda as the more dangerous group in the longer term,” the UN report said.
The UN’s assessment goes on to outline the two groups’ presence in Africa, Asia and Europe.
One of the key areas that show how Al-Qaeda is outmaneuvering Daesh is in Yemen, where its affiliate Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) “remains the most important Al-Qaeda affiliate for the dissemination of propaganda”.
Despite a number of setbacks for AQAP, it continues to pose a more significant threat than the Daesh branch in Yemen.
“Daesh in Iraq and the Levant – Yemen (Daesh-Yemen) is considered to be overshadowed in Yemen by AQAP,” the UN report says.
However, at the same time, the report notes that Al-Qaeda’s global leadership “has demoted Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula below the African affiliates”, highlighting the growing importance of the African continent for the growth of the militant group.
The United Nations report found that the most dynamic and dangerous militant networks are in Africa, particularly in the horn of Africa and the western region of the continent in the Sahel.