Observatory: IS militants look for safe heaven after defeat in Levant

CAIRO - 21 February 2018: Al Azhar observatory on combating extremist thought has warned that elements of terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) started to look for safe heavens in countries such as Pakistan, Libya and Central Asian states after their defeat in Syria and Iraq as such elements seek to find sectarian environment similar to that in the Levant.

A statement issued by the observatory, quoting an Afghan news agency, said the number of IS elements is increasing in northern Afghanistan and reached about 1,250 mostly from Turkmenistan, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Algeria and France.

Ambassador Smail Chergui, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, had warned that up to 6,000 Africans who fought for IS in Iraq and Syria could return home, calling on countries to prepare for the threat.

The observatory said the return of IS elements to the African continent poses threats to the security of Africa.