Daesh Seeking to Expand Reach Into New Countries, Regions - Kerry

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the Daesh is seeking to transform itself from a self-declared caliphate into a global terrorist network whose objective is to kill as many people as possible.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Daesh terror group is adapting its strategies and looking to expand into new territories and countries, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in opening remarks of the first US-led coalition joint ministerial meeting in Washington, DC on Thursday.

"I want to emphasize that Daesh [Islamic State] is not pursuing a passive strategy. On the contrary, it is seeking to expand its reach by developing expertise in more languages, and by establishing contacts in additional countries and regions," Kerry stated. "It is looking for areas of vulnerability and it will be eager to try to exploit them."

Kerry explained that the terror group is seeking to transform itself from a self-declared caliphate into a global terrorist network whose objective is to kill as many people as possible.

In an audio message shared on social media in May, Daesh spokesperson Abu Muhammad Adnani told the group’s supporters to carry out attacks in their home countries, saying the "smallest action you do in [the West] is better" than traveling to Daesh territory.

US officials have previously stated that the Daesh launches attacks outside Iraq and Syria as its territory inside those countries is threatened.

Earlier, Kerry said that the number of Daesh fighters in the region had been reduced by one-third, recruiting has declined and defections have increased.

The Islamic State, also known as Daesh in Arabic, is outlawed in Russia and numerous other nations.