Amman Today
publish date 2026-02-12 10:26:00
Amman – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned of the continued activity of the terrorist organization ISIS known as ISIS in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq, stressing that the organization still maintains effective operational capabilities and is working to undermine stability by raising sectarian tensions and attempting to assassinate officials.
In his twenty-second semi-annual strategic report on ISIS, which was presented in a briefing to the Security Council, Guterres indicates that ISIS has maintained an estimated presence of about 3,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria, while continuing its operations in northern and northeastern Syria.
According to the report, the organization sought to destabilize stability by inciting sectarian divisions with the aim of weakening the Syrian authorities. It also attempted to carry out assassinations against a number of Syrian officials, including President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The report as a whole reflects that the threat of ISIS in the Middle East still exists, and that its attempts to undermine stability in Syria represent a direct challenge to international peace and security, at a time when the Security Council is preparing to discuss ways to deal with a threat that is flexible and constantly evolving.
In mid-December 2025, Syrian and American officials announced that ISIS was responsible for an attack carried out by a lone gunman in the city of Palmyra in central Syria, which resulted in the death of three American personnel.
The United States then carried out a series of air strikes targeting the organization’s infrastructure, sites, and personnel, including a strike that killed an “al-Qaeda-linked leader who had direct links to an ISIS terrorist” responsible for the December attack.
On December 24, 2025, Syrian officials also announced the arrest of a prominent leader of the organization near Damascus. The report indicates that the current Syrian government joined the US-led coalition against ISIS in November 2025.
Worrying conditions in detention centers
The report draws attention to the fact that the humanitarian and human rights situation in the detention camps in northeastern Syria remains a source of grave concern, as more than 25,740 people, more than 60% of whom are children, live in the Al-Hawl and Roj camps.
He stressed that the reduction in humanitarian aid as a result of a decrease in foreign funding has exacerbated the situation, with harsh living conditions continuing, including lack of services, inadequate shelter, and high risks of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence.
The report warned that these camps represent a fertile environment for exploitation and extremism, reiterating its call on member states to facilitate the return of their nationals in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner.
In a development on the ground, fighting between the “Syrian Democratic Forces” and government forces led to the handing over of control of Al-Hawl camp and a prison in the city of Al-Shaddadi to government authorities, amid an exchange of accusations regarding the escape of at least 120 fighters from the organization, a number of whom were later re-arrested.
The report explains that the ISIS threat has increased in complexity since a previous report issued in August 2025, with a noticeable increase in the use of modern technologies, including commercial satellite communications systems, artificial intelligence tools, digital currencies, and unmanned aircraft.
It also confirms the organization’s continued ability to withstand and adapt despite the continuing pressures to combat terrorism, which constitutes a source of special concern to the Security Council, especially in Africa, in addition to its activity in Syria and the conditions of detention centers.
Expected positions in the Security Council
The Security Council meeting is expected to witness a new unified condemnation of ISIS, while emphasizing the need to manage the evolving threat posed by the organization. Although there are differences among several members regarding approaches to combating terrorism, especially regarding the balance between security measures and respect for human rights.
It is likely that a number of members will stress the importance of adopting a society-wide approach to combating terrorism that respects human rights, is consistent with international law, and addresses the root causes of violence and extremism. Some of them may also express concern about the conditions of detention centers in Syria, and reiterate the Secretary-General’s call to return nationals to their countries.
Members are also expected to raise the issue of the organization’s advanced use of technology, especially digital currencies, stressing the importance of international cooperation in this field, in addition to praising the work of United Nations entities concerned with combating terrorism.
Since 2014, the Security Council has adopted a consistent position based on condemning the “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant” (ISIS) and considering it a threat to international peace and security.
In August 2014, Resolution 2170 was adopted, which condemned the organization’s actions and imposed sanctions on individuals and entities associated with it, followed by Resolution 2178 in September of the same year regarding foreign terrorist fighters. In November 2015, Resolution 2249 condemned the organization’s attacks “in the strongest terms,” before Resolution 2253 in December 2015 expanded the sanctions regime to explicitly include ISIS alongside Al-Qaeda.
The Council continued to issue press statements condemning the attacks claimed by the organization, the last of which was in January 2026 following an attack in Kabul, which reflects the stability of the international position towards the organization.
Kingdom
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World News
Source 1 : https://www.ammonnews.net/article/979487
Source 2 : ألدستور
