UN says ISIS remains resilient despite global efforts

US is watching situation in Syria, Washington says

A masked ISIS extremist in the desert of Iraq or Syria in 2015.

The UN said on Monday that despite counter-terrorism efforts, ISIS remains resilient and continues to adapt its “modus operandi”.

Speaking at a Security Council meeting on terrorist threats to international peace and stability, Vladimir Voronkov, head of the UN counter-terrorism office, expressed particular concern about the situation in Syria after the fall of former president Bashar Al Assad.

“The terrorism landscape is evolving and demands collective, multilateral action, as terrorist attacks threaten life, well-being and the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals,” he said.

Mr Voronkov said Syrian's Badia region remains a centre for ISIS’s external operational planning and activities and noted the possibility of advanced weapons stockpiles falling into the hands of terrorists.

Adding to the complexity is the condition of camps, detention centres and other facilities in north-eastern Syria, where about 42,500 former fighters and their families are being held, he said.

Al Hol camp in north-eastern Syria's Hasakeh province, where former extremists and their families live. AP

“This includes 17,700 Iraqis and 16,200 Syrians, along with 8,600 nationals from other countries,” he added.

Regrettably, said Mr Voronkov, the overall pace of repatriations has declined significantly.

“Only five member states reportedly repatriated more than 760 individuals from Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic. The government of Iraq repatriated approximately 400 Iraqi children from the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic to a rehabilitation centre,” he said.

US deputy ambassador Dorothy Shea told council members President Donald Trump's administration is watching the situation in Syria.

She said Washington is committed to preventing Syria from being used as a base for “ISIS, Iranian-backed terrorism or other terrorist groups” that threaten the region, and further emphasised the critical importance of dismantling Syria's chemical weapons arsenal and ensuring the “weapons are not used for terrorism".