NSA Data Shows Islamic State Plans Series of Attacks in Europe: Reports

MOSCOW, January 11 (Sputnik) — According to US National Security Agency (NSA) data, the recent events in France are only the beginning of Islamic State (IS) radical organization's planned series of terrorist attacks in Europe, Bild am Sonntag reported Sunday.

A few months ago, NSA staff was able to tap phone conversations of IS leaders, of which it became known that Europe should be expecting a wave of terror and the events in France were only the beginning.

Eight Charlie Hebdo cartoonists were murdered Wednesday by Islamist terrorists Cherif and Said Kouachi, who also killed police officers outside the magazine’s office.

Another attacker, Amedy Coulibaly, who is believed to have had links to the brothers, killed four hostages in a supermarket in eastern Paris on Friday. He is also reported to be behind the murder of a policewoman that took place in southern Paris on Thursday.

There is no specific information about the plans of the Islamic State, but the recorded conversations mentioned Rome, the newspaper said.

Earlier in January, the head of the British intelligence agency MI5 Andrew Parker said that al-Qaeda is planning attacks on Western countries. According to him, in particular, the terrorist group is preparing attacks on transport infrastructure and landmarks, and the terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom could occur with high probability. Parker added that the Islamic State is also planning attacks in the country.

Islamic State (IS), also known as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has taken over large portions of Iraq and neighboring Syria and proclaimed a caliphate on the territories under its control.