As UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Otto Pedersen noted, the resurgence of the Islamic State poses a threat to the lives of civilians, especially in the context of the ongoing civil war and complicated humanitarian situation. He also added that dozens of different groups, foreign military contingents, and mercenaries are still operating in Syria, and the conflict that began 13 years ago is far from over.

Pedersen warned the Security Council of the growing escalation of tensions in Syria, warning of the threat of the conflict spilling over to other countries in the region, especially in light of recent Israeli attacks on Syria.

 

In addition, Pedersen called on the Security Council to continue peace negotiations with the Syrian government, with the involvement of all political forces, for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

The day before, the US Army Central Command issued a statement on the situation in Iraq and Syria. According to the Pentagon, the number of attacks carried out by IS has doubled this year. The US military expects that militants may try to seize significant territories again, with the goal of “restoring the caliphate.”

According to the US military, the estimated number of militants in Iraq and Syria is 5-7 seven thousand people. Most of them belong to "sleeper cells".