Facing Defeat Daesh Transfers Money to Europe - Senior Russian Diplomat

ROME (Sputnik) — Daesh, anticipating the defeat, has begun transferring funds from controlled territories to foreign countries, including the European states, Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department on New Challenges and Threats Dmitry Feoktistov said.

"If earlier we mentioned the fact that the Daesh accumulates finances on the controlled territories, now, apparently in anticipation of the imminent defeat and the loss of all territories, the Daesh begins to transfer funds in the opposite direction, including to European countries," Feoktistov said in Rome, where he is attending a meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

"It is clear that these funds will be used to support IS [Daesh] cells and to carry out terrorist attacks," the Russian diplomat stressed.

Syria has been in the grip of a civil war for over six years. Government forces are fighting against Syrian opposition groups, who strive to overthrow President Bashar Assad, as well as numerous extremist and terrorist groups, such as Daesh and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, which are both outlawed in Russia.

The same issue was raised by EU Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King last week, who said that there is a possibility that Daesh militants might transfer their financial resources to support terrorist activities in member countries of the European Union amid defeats in Syria and Iraq.