The last bastion of the Islamic State fell in Syria but the "caliphate" is still present in the world

The Syrian Democratic Forces (FSD), an armed alliance led by the Kurds, announced today the territorial defeat of the radical ISIS or Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.

"Total elimination of the self-appointed CaliphateFSD spokesman Mustafa Bali wrote on Twitter referring to the group.

"The Syrian Democratic Forces declare the total elimination of the self-proclaimed Caliphate and the territorial defeat of the Islamic State at 100%. On this unique day, we commemorate thousands of martyrs whose efforts made this victory possible, "said Bali.

The FSD announcement comes hours after the US declared victory, as fighting continued in Baghuz, the last city in which the group resisted, a few kilometers from the Iraqi border. , reported the news agency. EFE.

The FSD, a group of militia led by Kurds and also integrated by Arabs, they expelled ISIS from the majority of northeastern Syria, including Al Raqqa, the de facto capital of the "caliphate", which was conquered in October 2017 after four months of fighting.

Despite the fall of Baghuz, the Islamic State still has a "residual" presence in vast areas of Iraq and in the desert regions of Syria, as well as in several branches and "provinces", according to its qualifier, to perpetuate his ideology and his fight.

In his latest report on the subject, published in February, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres drew up the list of eight areas of influence, where the world's most feared jihadist organization is still active and could continue in the near future.

"Although the Islamic State has turned into a clandestine network, including Syria and Iraq, remains a threat as a global organization with centralized management", said the Secretary-General in his report, the eighth that develops this topic.

-In YemenISIS is still present in Jawf province, but it has been weakened by fighting with the local branch of another major jihadist group such as Al Qaeda, in Bayda province in July 2018. " EI still has mobile camps and a dwindling number of fighters throughout the country, "the UN said.

-In Libya"ISIS continues to be a threat," says Guterres. "Your fighters are badets on the Mediterranean coast, between Ajdabiya and Tripoli, as well as in the great south. "They regularly carry out attacks on police stations in order to keep their weapons.

In Egypt, the group affiliated with the Islamic State, which was loyal to the self-proclaimed "caliphate" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in November 2104, is still active. This group, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, based in the Sinai desert, has not seen the number of its fighters decrease in 2018 despite the constant operations that the Egyptian army has conducted against him.

– In the Sahel region, two groups are loyal to the Islamic State and are still active, according to the UN. "ISIS in the Great Sahara", commanded by Adnan Abu Walid al Sahraui, has between 100 and 200 fighters in north-central Mali.

-In the Lake Chad region, where are the borders of Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the Islamic Group of West Africa (ISWAP), a faction of the Boko Haram group, according to the UN 1,500 to 3,500 jihadists under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Barnawi.

-In Somalia, the jihadist movement is dominated by the group of Shebab, affiliated with Al Qaeda, but a group badociated with the Islamic State "coexists with them" since mid-2018, says the UN. This group specializes in the murders of officials and businessmen. In the neighboring region of Puntland, ISIS fighters remain active in the Qandala and Bossbado areas, where they have set up training and weapons storage camps, mainly from from neighboring Yemen.

-In afghanistan, the jihadist group affiliated with the Islamic State has between 2,500 and 4,000 men in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Nuristan and Laghman. "The Islamic State has training camps in Afghanistan and has created a network of clandestine cells in several Afghan cities, including Kabul," the UN said.

– In Central Asia, "the Islamic State seeks to expand its activities," said the UN report, which mentioned the killing of four foreign tourists traveling by bicycle in Tajikistan in July 2018.

– In Indonesia, the group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, badociated with the Islamic State, has conducted a series of tandem attacks by jihadists returning from the Syrian-Iraqi region and by "frustrated travelers" prevented from traveling and taking action. in their territories.