U.N. counterterrorism chief sounds alarm on ISIS in Africa

The Islamic State extremist group is escalating its threat level amid the political unrest in West Africa and the Sahel, and it remains focused on conducting attacks abroad.

A senior U.N. counterterrorism official informed the Security Council on Thursday that a large area of Africa might come under the influence of the Islamic State and related terrorist groups.

In a regular briefing to the council, Vladimir Voronkov, the undersecretary for counterterrorism, reported that affiliates of the IS group have expanded and reinforced their operational zones in West Africa and the Sahel.

He indicated that "The terrorism landscape in West Africa and the Sahel remains challenging and complex. Terrorist groups continue to expand in the Sahel and inflict high casualties, undermining regional stability."

Voronkov stated that two Daesh affiliates in the area, the Islamic State West Africa Province and the Islamic State in the greater Sahel, have broadened and strengthened their operational territories.

If these groups increase their influence in the northern states, they could effectively control land from Mali to northern Nigeria.

Voronkov also mentioned that IS group affiliates have expanded their operations in various parts of the continent, including Mozambique, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.