Thousands Of ISIS-Trained Jihadists In Europe

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Some 3,000 to 5,000 jihadi fighters trained by ISIS are already living in Europe, according to EUROPOL director Rob Wainwright. He went on to say that ISIS is planning to execute more attacks on european soil. Most of the fighters are returning jihadists from Syria, who have been trained and battle-hardened in the country’s ongoing civil war.

“The growing number of foreign fighters is presenting EU countries with completely new challenges,” Wainwright said.

Wainwright made the remarks to German newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, and added that the November attack on Paris demonstrated a capability and intent that is of an international dimension. More attacks are expected.

“Europe is currently facing its biggest terrorist threat in more than ten years,” Wainwright said.

The inordinately high number of “international fighters” – those Europeans who have travelled to Syria, gained experience, and returned to their countries of origin – make it possible for ISIS to plan and execute such attacks.

However, Wainwright said that there is little evidence that the influx of refugees flooding into Europe in the past months has contributed to the terrorist threat.

“There is no concrete evidence that terrorists systematically use the stream of refugees to pass through to Europe undetected,” Wainwright said.

“It is to be expected that ISIS or other religious terrorist groups will carry out an attack somewhere in Europe — with the aim of killing as many civilians as possible.”

Another threat, that is potentially more difficult to thwart, is that of so-called lone-wolf attackers. These attackers are not connected to an organised network, leave no traces to intercept, and their actions are difficult if not impossible to predict.

“In addition, there is a risk of individual terrorists, this has not been reduced,” he said.

In January, EUROPOL opened the European Counter Terrorism Centre. The Centre serves as a coordination hub between Europe’s diverse police forces, collecting and spreading information among them.