UN warns new wave of terrorist attacks possible before end of year

The United Nations has warned that a recent pause in international terrorist violence may soon end, with a new wave of attacks possible before the end of the year.

Specialist monitors at the UN security council paint a worrying picture of a global Islamist extremist movement that continues to pose a significant threat despite recent setbacks. The authors raise concerns about up to 30,000 foreigners who travelled to the “caliphate” to fight and who may still be alive.

The Guardian reports that the UN report notes that, though the geographical caliphate of Islamic State has ceased to exist, member states agree many of the underlying factors that gave rise to [Islamic State] still exist, which suggests that the threat from it and al-Qaida, or similar groups is unlikely to decline further.

Though there have been fewer successful attacks since 2015 and 2016, when extremists killed hundreds of people in France, Belgium and Germany, the threat to Europe “remains high”.

United Nations / The Guardian