Is ISIS Building A Navy?

Is ISIS Building A Navy?

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After establishing a reign of terror on lands in the Middle East and certain regions in Northern Africa, ISIS wants to extend its grip to international waters, especially after it has expanded its influence in the Mediterranean region: The Islamist terror organization is now reportedly planning to build its own navy to terrorise the seas.

Libya’s collapse into chaos and the terror group’s seizure of the coastal city of Sirte has prompted alarm about ISIS using navy as one of its weapons.

According to retired Adm. James G. Stavridis, the Islamic State would love the symbolic aspect of going after a ship at sea and The US Navy must be on alert, vigilant and prepared to counter the terror threat to its deployed forces.

The chief of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, Vice-Admiral Clive Johnstone has also expressed concerns that the the rise of Islamic State in the Mediterranean means it is striving to mount seaborne operations, endangering commercial and passenger sea lane.

“We know they have had ambitions to go off shore, we know they would like to have a maritime arm, just as Al-Qaeda had a maritime arm,” said Johnstone, and added that Korean, Chinese and Russian hardware was being acquired through various means by various extremist groups in the region, including the Islamic State group.

While ISIS has suffered severe financial losses from the US led coalition’s airstrikes, in which the group has lost much of its main source of income from oil reserves, and while some may dismiss the idea of ISIS building a navy, the West should not dismiss the group’s flare for spreading terror among its enemies.