A senior UN official responsible for the fight against terrorism expressed concern on Thursday about the strengthening of the Afghan branch of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist organization, which he considers “capable of carrying out attacks abroad” and is described as “the biggest external terrorist threat” to Europe.

“Two of the threats that have been reported in recent years have unfortunately become more intense than my previous presentation,” Vladimir Vrankov, the UN’s under-secretary-general for counter-terrorism, told the Security Council six months ago.

“The first is the threat of ISIL-X (a.k.a. the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, also known as the Islamic State in Khorasan, or ISIS), an organization close to Daesh in Afghanistan, to commit terrorist acts abroad “, he noted, referring specifically to the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow in March, which claimed the lives of 145 people.

The IKH has “increased its funding and logistics capabilities over the past six months, particularly leveraging the support of the Afghan and Central Asian diaspora,” while “intensifying its efforts to recruit” new members, he continued.

The danger posed by the IKK has led to “an increase in terrorist threat levels in Europe”, where the organization is considered to remain “the biggest external terrorist threat”, he insisted.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ most recent report on the issue, released at the end of July, noted in particular that in these circumstances, authorities are concerned about major sporting events such as the Paris Olympics (ongoing) and Euro 2024, the European championship of national football teams.

He called on all UN member states to unite to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a “hotbed of terrorist activities with repercussions in other countries”.

The second threat that has strengthened in recent months, according to Mr. Vrankov, is the strengthening of IS’s “central structure” in the Middle East.

IS claimed responsibility for attacks carried out abroad by its Afghan arm and used them to wage a propaganda “campaign” while “accelerating the pace of its operations” in Syria.

“It will require continued efforts in the fight against terrorism to prevent Daesh from building on these gains,” the UN official stressed.

He also expressed concern that organizations pledging allegiance to IS are gaining ground in Africa, particularly in West Africa and the Sahel, where they are “expanding” their areas of operation.

If these organizations expand further, “vast territory, from Mali to northern Nigeria, could effectively fall into their hands,” he warned, also pointing to the strengthening of IS-linked organizations in DR Congo and Somalia.