UN warns IS Afghanistan branch growing in strength

UNITED NATIONS, United States: A UN counter-terrorism official warned on Thursday that the Islamic State group´s Afghanistan branch poses the greatest external terrorist threat to Europe as it boosts its organisational strength.

“ISIL-K has improved its financial and logistical capabilities in the past six months, including by tapping into Afghan and Central Asian diasporas for support,” Vladimir Voronkov, undersecretary general for counter-terrorism, said.

ISIL-K, or ISIS-K, is an acronym of the jihadist group´s branch in Afghanistan, known as Islamic State Khorasan Province.

The group claimed a March attack on a music hall in Moscow, which left 145 people dead. On Wednesday, Austrian authorities detained Islamic State-linked suspects for allegedly plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, though no link has been reported to the Afghanistan branch.

But the risk of the Afghanistan branch carrying out terrorist attacks abroad has “become manifest,” Voronkov said, noting the group has also intensified its recruitment efforts.

In the latest report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the subject, published last month, it was noted that authorities were on high alert against potential attacks during the Euro football championship and Paris Olympics.