Over 25,000 foreign terrorists with ISIL, al-Qaeda: UN
Over 25,000 terrorists have joined al-Qaeda and ISIL Takfiri militants from nearly half of the world countries, a UN report says.
A recent report by the UN Security Council (UNSC) said the “foreign terrorist fighters” come from more than 100 countries and pose an “immediate and long-term threat to world peace and security."
The report described its estimate as conservative and said the the actual number could be as high as 30,000.
The number of terrorists worldwide may have increased by more than 70 percent worldwide over the past nine months, it added.
“The rate of flow is higher than ever and mainly focused on movement into the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, with a growing problem also evident in Libya.”
The world body has also warned against growing terror threats in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and some African states.
The 15-member council is meeting on Friday to discuss the issue of foreign extremists and potential measures to combat the threat.
The report also cautioned about the terrorists who return home or to third countries, saying they can pose a threat to national and international security.
The developments come as the Takfiri extremists currently control parts of Syria and Iraq. They have carried out atrocious crimes in the two countries, including mass executions and beheading of people.
Hundreds of Westerners and Europeans had gone to Syria to fight against Damascus and fears are now growing that European militants, trained and hardened in Syria, may carry out terrorist attacks once they return home.
Syria has been experiencing a deadly crisis since March 2011. Reports say at least 222,000 people have been killed in the violence so far.
The West and its regional allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are giving financial and military support to the militants.
JR/HMV/GHN
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