There are between 5,000 and 7,000 ISIS active members across Syria and Iraq, with the group also posing the most serious terrorist threat in Afghanistan, UN experts have said in a report.
The threat posed by ISIS was "mostly high in conflict zones and low in non-conflict areas" during the first half of the year, the experts said in the report, circulated on Monday.
The panel said in the report presented to the UN Security Council that "the overall situation is dynamic".
Despite significant losses in the group's leadership and reduced activity in Syria and Iraq, the risk of a resurgence remains, the experts said.
“The group has adapted its strategy, embedding itself with local populations and has exercised caution in choosing battles that are likely to result in limited losses, while rebuilding and recruiting from camps in the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic and from vulnerable communities, including in neighbouring countries,” they said.
In 2014, ISIS declared a self-styled caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq.
The group was defeated in Iraq in 2017 after a three-year battle that left tens of thousands of people dead and cities in ruins. But ISIS still has cells in Iraq and Syria.
Despite sustained counter-terrorism operations, ISIS has between 5,000 and 7,000 members, mostly fighters, across those countries, the experts said.
But they said the group reduced its attacks deliberately “to facilitate recruiting and reorganisation".
In north-eastern Syria, about 11,000 suspected ISIS fighters are being held at sites controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which played a prominent role in the fight against the terror group, the panel said.
The fighters include more than 3,500 Iraqi citizens and about 2,000 from almost 70 countries, it said.
North-east Syria is also home to two closed camps, Al Hol and Roj, where about 55,000 people with alleged links or family ties to ISIS live in dire conditions and "significant humanitarian hardship", the experts said.
About two thirds of the population of the camps are children. They include about 11,800 Iraqis, nearly 16,000 Syrians and more than 6,700 children from about 60 other countries, the experts said.
The panel quoted one unnamed country as saying ISIS maintained its “cubs of the caliphate” programme, recruiting children in the overcrowded Al Hol camp.
In addition, more than 850 boys, some as young as 10, were in detention and rehabilitation centres in the north-east, the experts said.
UN members have assessed that ISIS pose the most serious terrorist threat in Afghanistan and the wider region, the panel said.
The terrorist group has reportedly increased its operational capabilities and has between 4,000 and 6,000 fighters and family members in Afghanistan, it said.
But the experts said operations involving regional forces in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province disrupted the activities of a group affiliated to ISIS.
Countries in southern Africa estimate the group now has between 180 and 220 male fighters with battlefield experience, down from 280.
Several countries in the east of the continent have expressed concerns that terrorist groups, including ISIS, could exploit political violence and instability in Sudan the experts said.
Some countries have said the ISIS affiliate in the Sahel region “has become increasingly autonomous and played a significant role in the escalation of violence in the region, alongside other terrorist groups", the UN panel said, referring to increased ISIS attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Barbie
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The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
LOVE%20AGAIN
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Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
AL%20BOOM
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
DAY%20ONE%20RESULT
%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Charlotte%20Kool%20(NED)%20%E2%80%93%20Team%20DSM%3A%202hrs%2C%2047min%2C%2014sec%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lorena%20Wiebes%20(NED)%20%E2%80%93%20Team%20SD%20Worx%3A%20%2B4%20secs%3Cbr%3E3.%20Chiara%20Consonni%20(ITA)%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20Team%20ADQ%3A%20%2B5%20secs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
