Al-Qaeda's global network remains "remarkably resilient," posing more of a threat in some regions than the Islamic State group, UN sanctions monitors said in a report seen by AFP on Wednesday.

The report sent to the Security Council said that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), based in Yemen, served as a communications hub for the UN-designated terror group as a whole.

"Al-Qaeda affiliates remain the dominant terror threat in some regions, such as Somalia and Yemen, a fact demonstrated by a continuous stream of attacks and foiled operations," said the report.

In West Africa and South Asia, Al-Qaeda-linked groups pose as serious a threat as IS affiliates who "currently remain unable to reach a dominant position," it said.

UN member-states however see potential for linkups between Al-Qaeda and IS groups to support each other, warning that in some regions this could be a new threat, the report said.

The Islamic State lost its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq last year but Al-Qaeda "remained remarkably resilient," said the UN monitors.

In Syria, the Al-Nusrah Front "remains one of the strongest and largest Al-Qaeda affiliates globally," with its fighters "using threats, violence and material incentives" to absorb smaller armed groups.

Al-Nusrah commands between 7,000 and 11,000 fighters, including several thousand foreigners, and has its main power base in Syria's Idlib province.

In Libya, IS remains intent on regaining a foothold following the loss of Sirte and has reinforced its presence with fighters returning from Iraq and Syria, the report said.

Fighters from Boko Haram, which has expanded its reach from northern Nigeria, are maintaining small cells in Libya who could then move on to other regional countries.

"Member-states assessed that there is a potential for the transfer of leaders from ISIL in Libya to other conflict zones in West Africa and the Sahel region, including Mali," said the report.

Iraqi forces advance against IS remnants in desert
Tuz Khurmatu, Iraq (AFP) Feb 7, 2018 - Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition advanced in a major operation Wednesday against Islamic State group jihadists hiding out in a northeastern desert region, the military said.

The army, rapid intervention and paramilitary forces, in coordination with Kurdish fighters and with Iraqi and coalition air cover, launched the operation east of Tuz Khurmatu "to chase away IS remnants," Iraq's Security Information Centre said.

"Air strikes targeted the Hamrin mountain range, destroying 50 targets, including two fortified hideouts, 20 terrorist caches, weapons warehouses, ammunition as well as communication networks, mortar positions and 24 tunnels," it added.

Iraqi forces took control of 80 square kilometres (30 square miles), three oil wells and two gas fields, according to the rapid intervention forces.

They also retook five villages and stormed an IS camp.

Iraq declared victory against IS in December, more than three years after the extremist group seized a third of its territory and swathes of neighbouring Syria, declaring a "caliphate" ruling over millions of people.

The jihadists are still active, however, and there have been several attacks against government forces in the Khurmatu region.

Authorities have blamed not just IS but also pro-independence Kurds, who are accused of seeking revenge after government forces seized control of Kirkuk province, during which many Kurds were expelled from the Tuz Khurmatu area.

The town is home to a mix of Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens. It was the scene of deadly violence in mid-October when Iraqi forces retook it in response to a Kurdish independence referendum bitterly opposed by Baghdad.

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American IS recruits struggle with inexperience, culture clash
Washington (AFP) Feb 5, 2018
US recruits to the Islamic State group struggle more than their European counterparts, lacking support networks and field experience and being assigned to menial jobs, a report on American jihadists said Monday. The study by the George Washington University Program on Extremism said that online social networks were more essential to Americans in reaching Syria and Iraq, as they often had limited personal connections that could help them reach the battlefield. Once there a number found disappoint ... read more