UNSC Holds Emergency Meeting on Growing ISIS Threat, Afghanistan in Focus
DID Press: UN Security Council convened an emergency session today (February 4, 2026) to address the escalating threat posed by ISIS (ISIS-Khorasan) with a particular focus on Afghanistan. According to the UN Secretary-General’s 22nd report on ISIS activities in Iraq and Syria, the group has intensified its operations across various regions since August 2025.
The report highlights that ISIS continues to exploit armed conflicts, political instability, and weak governance, presenting a persistent threat to international peace, human rights, and development. Africa remains the most critical hotspot for ISIS, with the group’s branches expanding in West Africa and the Sahel region, causing mass displacement, civilian casualties, and disruptions to humanitarian aid.
In the Middle East, ISIS remains active in Syria and Iraq, with approximately 3,000 members and continues to stoke sectarian tensions. Concerns over overcrowded detention camps in northeast Syria, housing ISIS members and their families, persist, with deteriorating conditions exacerbating radicalization.
Council members are likely to emphasize the need for unified international responses and condemnation of ISIS, although there remain differences regarding balancing security measures with human rights and international law.
The report also mentions the group’s increasing use of digital currencies, artificial intelligence tools, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in its operations.
Afghanistan in Focus
The report gives special attention to the activities of ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), calling it a serious threat with both regional and international ambitions. ISIS-K has maintained a strong operational capacity in northern Afghanistan and near the Pakistan border, with the report citing an attack in Kabul on January 19, which killed six Afghans and a Chinese national.
The findings underscore the Security Council’s ongoing concerns about Afghanistan’s security trajectory and the potential use of the country as a base for transnational attacks, even as global attention continues to focus on other crisis-ridden regions.
The session, chaired by Chris Elmore, Deputy Parliamentary Secretary of the UK Government, also featured a briefing from senior UN counter-terrorism officials.