Global Coalition discusses escalating ISIS threat in Syria and Beyond
DAMSACUS, Syria (North Press) – The U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS convened on Tuesday its Small Group meeting in Madrid to assess the ongoing security threats posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and around the world.
The meeting was chaired on the Spanish side by Alberto Ucelay, Director General of Foreign and Security Policy. The United States was represented by Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory LoGerfo, alongside Spain’s Deputy Minister of Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, who opened the session by emphasizing the continued importance of international cooperation in combating ISIS.
Participants highlighted the persistent danger the group poses to civilians, as well as the security risks associated with detained fighters held in displacement camps in northeastern Syria.
The discussion also focused on the need to enhance border security and intelligence-sharing, while accelerating the repatriation and return of Syrian, Iraqi, and third-country nationals to their home communities.
Efforts to disrupt ISIS’ capacity to conduct international travel and launch external attacks were central to the meeting. Attendees welcomed the creation of a new Coalition working group dedicated to monitoring terrorist movements, following its inaugural meeting hosted by INTERPOL on May 27–28.
The meeting addressed the increasing use of the internet and emerging technologies by ISIS to recruit followers and promote its ideology, underlining the need for stronger digital countermeasures as part of the coalition’s broader counterterrorism strategy.