United Nations, Nov 25 (IANS): The Sunni radical group Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups operating in Syria and Iraq have received as much as $120 million in ransoms since 2004, a UN expert said.

Kidnapping for ransom by IS and other terrorist groups continues to grow and they have received an estimated $120 million in ransoms between 2004 and 2012, Yotsna Lalji, a UN expert monitoring sanctions against Al Qaeda, warned in a meeting of the UN Security Council's counter-terrorism committee, Press TV reported Tuesday.

Lalji added that terrorist groups operating in the Middle East, Asia and Africa have made kidnapping “the core Al Qaeda tactic for generating revenue”.

The IS has executed several Western nationals, including three Americans. A young American woman remains captive.

Many governments do pay ransom to release their nationals kidnapped by terrorist groups, Lalji said. However, the US refuses to change its position against paying ransom for American hostages.