- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Ticking Time Bomb: Daesh Set to Use Weapons of Mass Destruction in Europe

© AFP 2023 / JM LOPEZVolunteers wear protective gear during a class of how to respond to a chemical attack, in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo
Volunteers wear protective gear during a class of how to respond to a chemical attack, in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The European Union and its member states must prepare for the possibility of a chemical or biological attack on their territory by Daesh, also known as the Islamic State terrorist group, according to an analytical report prepared for the European Parliament.

A picture taken on June 29, 2015 shows a flight simulator. - Sputnik International
Daesh Begins Training Pilots-Terrorists in Libya - Media
The terror organization, also known as Daesh (also known as ISIL), “may be planning to try to use internationally banned weapons of mass destruction in future attacks" according to the European Parliament document compiled by its political analyst Beatrix Immenkamp in the wake of last month's Paris attacks.

The extremists have recruited an army of scientists and already smuggled chemical and biological weapons into Europe and the attack could consist of a dirty nuclear bomb, biological, or chemical weapons, the report warned.

And a staggering 150 cases of nuclear or radiological trafficking have been reported annually as the terrorist group continues to wage war against the West. CBRN substances have been carried undetected into the European Union, the author noted. Interpol’s monthly intelligence reports show numerous examples of attempts to acquire, smuggle or use CBRN materials.

Intelligence services have also been warned to screen returning terrorist fighters for "specialist chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear knowledge."

"Daesh has recruited and continues to recruit hundreds of foreign fighters, including some with degrees in physics, chemistry, and computer science, who experts believe have the ability to manufacture lethal weapons from raw substances," the document read.

Substances that could be used as ingredients of weapons of mass destruction may be smuggled in Europe. CBRN substances have been carried undetected into the European Union, the author noted. Interpol’s monthly intelligence reports show numerous examples of attempts to acquire, smuggle or use CBRN materials.

The report warned that there is a particular risk that terrorists might use sarin, ricin or anthrax.

Since the beginning of October 2015, terrorist attacks in Ankara, the Sinai Peninsula, Beirut, Paris and Tunis, for which Daesh has claimed responsibility, have cost the lives of 500 people. Immediately following the latest attack in Paris, the jihadist terrorist group threatened further attacks in European cities.

Daesh has vowed that future strikes will be more lethal and even more shocking. This has prompted experts to warn that the group may be planning to try to use internationally banned weapons of mass destruction in future attacks.

Daesh is considered one of the most serious threats to the global security. In three years, the terrorists have seized large parts of Iraq and Syria. They have also been trying to establish their presence in North Africa, particularly in Libya.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала