Wiping out Islamic State will NOT eliminate global jihadi threat

And Western nations could be doomed to "failure" if they focus solely on the murderous death cult - also known as ISIL and Daesh.

Almost 60% of fighters in rebel factions in Syria follow the same religious and political ideology as ISIS.

The war-torn country is currenly home to the "largest gathering of jihadi groups in modern times", according to the report.

The publication comes from the Centre on Religion & Geopolitics – a major think tank run by former PM Tony Blair's Faith Foundation.

"The West risks making a strategic failure by focusing only on IS.

"Defeating it militarily will not end global jihadism," the report said.

"We cannot bomb an ideology, but our war is ideological."

The warning comes as the United Nations agreed a resolution to begin the start of talks between Syrian tyrant Bashar Assad's regime and rebel forces.

But radical organisations including al Qaida offshoot Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham could benefit if they go "unchallenged".

The report continued: "If Isis is defeated, there are at least 65,000 fighters belonging to other Salafi-jihadi groups ready to take its place.

"The greatest danger to the international community are the groups that share the ideology of Isis, but are being ignored in the battle to defeat the group.

"While military efforts against Isis are necessary, policy makers must recognise that its defeat will not end the threat of Salafi-jihadism unless it is accompanied by an intellectual and theological defeat of the pernicious ideology that drives it."

Around 90 per cent of the groups in Syria support ousting Assad.

The report concluded: "There can be no peace deal that keeps Assad in power."

(dailystar.co.uk)