UN report: ISIL held areas a ‘finishing school’ for foreign fighters

Refugee and Migrant Crisis

Thousands of foreign fighters are on the ground in Syria and Iraq, according to a United Nations report seen by US media outlets. The UN study says, globally, at least 25 thousand foreign fighters from 100 countries have joined the fight with groups like ISIL and al Qaeda. CCTV America’s Nathan King filed this report from Washington.

Highlights:

  • UN report: there are now 22,000 foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria, 6,500 in Afghanistan and hundreds more in Yemen, Libya, Pakistan and Somalia.
  • The UN study warns military victories against ISIL like the liberation of the Iraqi city of Tikrit could scatter hundreds of well-trained fighters across the world.