London, August 25: At least 800 extremists recruited by Islamic State or groups affiliated to the al-Qaeda are prepared “to do anything” to launch attacks in Europe, media reports said Tuesday. The Islamist fighters who have returned from Syria or Iraq are preparing to launch attacks in Europe, The Times reported citing Spanish counterterrorism officers.
The Spanish officers referred to the number of jihadists residing on the continent who have been recruited by Islamic State or groups affiliated to al-Qaeda. Another 350 or so Britons have returned from fighting in the war zone, with security sources acknowledging that some are plotting attacks in the UK specifically.
The warnings came as Spain and Morocco arrested 14 people in a joint operation targeting suspected recruiters for ISIS. Those arrested are suspected of involvement in a network to send fighters to areas of Syria and Iraq under ISIS control, the BBC reported. Also Friday, Ayoub El Khazzani, 25, a Moroccan gunman, was overpowered on a high-speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris. He was said to be an “Islamist returner,” apparently having left France for Syria last year.
Counterterrorism sources quoted by Cadena Ser, a Spanish radio station, said about 800 extremists on the continent had been recruited by Islamic State or al-Qaeda-affiliated groups. They said they were waiting for instructions from support networks to commit atrocities when the opportunities arose.
Anti-terrorist sources said they were tracking the movements of some of the 800 “returners”, but did not know the whereabouts of all of them. All have returned from conflict zones and are awaiting their opportunities to carry out an attack, they said. More than 700 Britons are thought to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to support or fight for jihadist organisations. According to Scotland Yard, half of them have returned.
IS executes four people in central Libyan city
Benghazi: Islamic State has executed four people in the central Libyan city of Sirte, including at least one member of a rival group whose body was put on display, according to residents and a video published on social media Monday. A video released by the militant group showed a gunman shooting a man, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, who was tied to a makeshift cross. His body was left there afterward as a warning to others. The man was identified as an alleged spy for Libya Dawn, an armed group backing a non-recognised government in Tripoli. PTI