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STORY: UN / ISIL DAESH TERRORIST ACTS
TRT: 05:42
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / RUSSIAN / CHINESE / NATS
DATELINE: 05 AUGUST 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN headquarters
05 AUGUST 2026, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism:
“While sustained counter-terrorism operations have disrupted Da'esh's senior leadership and reduced its ability to direct operations centrally, the group has continued to adapt. Although its structure is increasingly dispersed, Da’esh remains resilient, with its affiliates united by a shared ideology.”
3. Wide shot, Security Council
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism:
“Today, the threat remains particularly acute in parts of Africa, notably in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, where several affiliates continue to strengthen their capabilities, expand their operational reach and adapt their tactics.”
5. Wide shot, Security Council
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism:
“Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continues to be the most active Da'esh affiliate globally and has demonstrated an increasing capacity to acquire and employ commercial drone technology.”
7. Wide shot, Security Council
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism:
“In Iraq, continued counter-terrorism pressure has significantly constrained Da'esh's capabilities. The challenge now is to consolidate these hard-won gains through strong and accountable institutions, effective administration of justice, rehabilitation and reintegration efforts; and measures that address the conditions that could enable the group's resurgence.”
9. Wide shot, Security Council
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism:
“No Member State can address this threat alone. As terrorist networks adapt and increasingly operate across borders, international cooperation must translate into practical action through information-sharing, border management, criminal justice cooperation, financial investigations and coordinated responses.”
11. Wide shot, Security Council
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary General, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism:
“The growing exploitation by Da'esh and its affiliates of advances in artificial intelligence, encrypted communications, digital platforms, virtual assets and unmanned aircraft systems underscores the need to strengthen governance, oversight and international cooperation, including with the private sector.”
13. Wide shot, Security Council
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism:
“All counter-terrorism efforts must remain firmly grounded in international law, including international human rights, humanitarian, and refugee law.”
15. Wide shot, Security Council
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism:
“The threat posed by Da'esh will continue to evolve. Our collective response must evolve with it.”
17. Wide shot, Security Council
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Carmen G. Cantor, Deputy Executive Director, Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate:
“Propaganda is no longer only about shaping narratives. It has become an operational enabler that helps terrorist groups recruit supporters, mobilize resources and extend their reach across borders.”
19. Wide shot, Security Council
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Carmen G. Cantor, Deputy Executive Director, Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate:
“Local context continues to shape the threat. The activities of Da’esh affiliates across parts of Africa remain a matter of significant concern. In April, CTED published a report on civil society perspectives in West Africa, which highlighted terrorist exploitation of weak governance and porous borders, and the growing misuse of technologies, including artificial intelligence, UAS, and social media.”
21. Wide shot, Security Council
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Tammy Bruce, Ambassador, Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations
“Beyond the jihadist threat, Iran and its proxies and partners, including the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, continue destabilizing the Middle East and seeking broader reach. Expanded information sharing is vital to prevent them from acquiring critical weapons and to constrain their actions.”
23. Wide shot, Security Council
24. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“Terrorist activity of the Kyiv regime in Africa merits being addressed separately. Here we're talking about the provision of UAVs and the direct training of terrorists by Ukrainian military instructors. There have been cases recorded of attacks on fighters using weapons provided by the West to Kyiv in Africa, but also in Latin America and in the Middle East. US oversight bodies have questions on how the military assistance, provided to Kyiv by Biden’s administration, was used.”
25. Wide shot, Security Council
26. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Sun Lei, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Deputy Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations:
“China supports the UN and the international community in strengthening the governance of emerging technologies, enhancing risk assessment and regulatory frameworks, and preventing the three forces of violent extremism, violent terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism from exploiting these technologies to spread and infiltrate. Greater support should be provided to developing countries in the form of technology transfer, equipment training and information sharing to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities and strengthen their defenses against terrorism.”
26. Wide shot, Security Council
The Security Council was told Wednesday that the Islamic State (ISIL/Da'esh) remains a resilient and adaptive threat despite sustained counter-terrorism pressure that has degraded its central leadership, as the Council reviewed the Secretary-General's 23rd biannual strategic report on the group.
Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General at the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, said Da'esh has continued to evolve even as its command structure has been disrupted.
“While sustained counter-terrorism operations have disrupted Da'esh's senior leadership and reduced its ability to direct operations centrally, the group has continued to adapt. Although its structure is increasingly dispersed, Da'esh remains resilient, with its affiliates united by a shared ideology,” she said.
Niyazberdiyeva said the threat remains most acute in Africa.
“Today, the threat remains particularly acute in parts of Africa, notably in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, where several affiliates continue to strengthen their capabilities, expand their operational reach and adapt their tactics,” she said, adding that the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) “continues to be the most active Da'esh affiliate globally and has demonstrated an increasing capacity to acquire and employ commercial drone technology.”
On Iraq, she said counter-terrorism operations had significantly weakened the group's capabilities there but cautioned that gains must be consolidated.
“In Iraq, continued counter-terrorism pressure has significantly constrained Da'esh's capabilities. The challenge now is to consolidate these hard-won gains through strong and accountable institutions, effective administration of justice, rehabilitation and reintegration efforts; and measures that address the conditions that could enable the group's resurgence,” she said.
She called for deeper international cooperation, warning that “no Member State can address this threat alone.”
Niyazberdiyeva also flagged the group's use of emerging technology. “The growing exploitation by Da'esh and its affiliates of advances in artificial intelligence, encrypted communications, digital platforms, virtual assets and unmanned aircraft systems underscores the need to strengthen governance, oversight and international cooperation, including with the private sector,” she said.
“The threat posed by Da'esh will continue to evolve. Our collective response must evolve with it,” she said.
Carmen G. Cantor, Deputy Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, told the Council that Da'esh propaganda has become a driver of operational activity rather than just messaging.
“Propaganda is no longer only about shaping narratives. It has become an operational enabler that helps terrorist groups recruit supporters, mobilize resources and extend their reach across borders,” she said.
Cantor said Africa remained a particular focus of concern.
“Local context continues to shape the threat. The activities of Da'esh affiliates across parts of Africa remain a matter of significant concern. In April, CTED published a report on civil society perspectives in West Africa, which highlighted terrorist exploitation of weak governance and porous borders, and the growing misuse of technologies, including artificial intelligence, UAS, and social media,” she said.
Council members also raised concerns beyond ISIL during the meeting. Tammy Bruce, Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, pointed to Iran-linked groups as a destabilizing factor in the region. “Beyond the jihadist threat, Iran and its proxies and partners, including the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, continue destabilizing the Middle East and seeking broader reach. Expanded information sharing is vital to prevent them from acquiring critical weapons and to constrain their actions,” Bruce said.
Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, said, “Terrorist activity of the Kyiv regime in Africa merits being addressed separately. Here we're talking about the provision of UAVs and the direct training of terrorists by Ukrainian military instructors. There have been cases recorded of attacks on fighters using weapons provided by the West to Kyiv in Africa, but also in Latin America and in the Middle East. US oversight bodies have questions on how the military assistance, provided to Kyiv by Biden's administration, was used.”
Sun Lei, Deputy Permanent Representative of China, called for stronger international governance of emerging technologies to prevent their exploitation by extremist groups. “China supports the UN and the international community in strengthening the governance of emerging technologies, enhancing risk assessment and regulatory frameworks, and preventing the three forces of violent extremism, violent terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism from exploiting these technologies to spread and infiltrate. Greater support should be provided to developing countries in the form of technology transfer, equipment training and information sharing to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities and strengthen their defenses against terrorism,” Sun said.
