‘Unprecedented Threat': Extremist Groups Loyal to Daesh on the Rise

The popularity of the terrorist organization across the world is rapidly growing, with groups from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Nigeria and Libya increasingly supporting Daesh activities.

The number of extremist groups around the world that has pledged allegiance to the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist organization reached 34 and will continue to grow, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his statement on Friday.

The UN Secretary General said that the speed at which Daesh spreads its influence in the Middle East and Asia is phenomenal. According to him, the influence of the group has significantly grown over just a year and a half.

"The recent expansion of the ISIL sphere of influence across west and north Africa, the Middle East and south and southeast Asia demonstrates the speed and scale at which the gravity of the threat has evolved in just 18 months," Ban Ki-moon stated.

According to the UN Secretary General, Daesh poses an "unprecedented threat" to the whole international community because it is able to quickly find new adherents in different parts of the world. Moreover, it is "the world's wealthiest terrorist organization", which received about 400-500 million dollars in 2015 from illegal oil sales.

Daesh is a terrorist organization which has large parts of Iraq and Syria under its control. In addition, the terrorist group is currently trying to establish influence in North Africa, particularly in Libya. According to estimates, Daesh controls an area of up to 90,000 sq km. The number of its fighters is estimated between 50,000 and 200,000.