Daesh/ISIS ‘significantly increased’ drone use in past year, UN warns

Terror group has been able to maintain drone capabilities partly due to ‘decentralized internal structure,’ says UN’s top official for counter-terrorism

UNITED NATIONS

The terror group Daesh/ISIS has significantly increased its use of unmanned aerial systems or drones in the past year, the UN warned on Tuesday.

The UN’s top official for counter-terrorism told the Security Council that despite its territorial defeat and subsequent leadership losses, Daesh/ISIS continues to pose a threat to international peace and security.

“The group has also significantly increased the use of unmanned aerial systems in the past year, including reported in northern Iraq,” said Vladimir Voronkov. “Daesh has managed to do so partially by resorting to a largely decentralized internal structure.”

The terror group operates not only in Iraq and Syria, but also in Afghanistan, Somalia, and the Lake Chad Basin, he added.

Daesh/ISIS still manages between $25 to $50 million

Some 10,000 Daesh/ISIS fighters are estimated to operate along the border between Iraq and Syria, according to the latest UN report, and the group’s leadership still manages $25 million to $50 million in assets.