The European Union and its member states must prepare for the possibility of a chemical or biological attack on their territory by the terrorist group Daesh, also known as the Islamic State (ISIL), according to an analytical report prepared for the European Parliament.
The terror organization “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.
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.
Fox News reported that Daesh began training pilots at an airbase they control in Libya.
Referring to sources in Libyan military, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported that a terrorist organization had “a brand-new aircraft training simulator” that was possibly shipped to the country from abroad in October. The hardware is equipped with a radar screen and device for communication with traffic controllers.
According to Erik Burkhart, a former CIA agent, this means that there is threat that the militants could conduct terror attacks like those that occurred in the US on September 11, 2001.
