US General says, that ISIS attacks are imminent owing to the group’s expanding bases of operations.
The chief of US intelligence has warned that there could be a surge in ISIS attacks around the globe. The warning came as the extremist group tries to expand globally.
He further stated that the group will also seek to increase the “pace and lethality” of ISIS attacks in the coming days.
The agencies also fear that other extremist groups may emerge throughout the world after watching successful ISIS attacks.
Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart of the Marine Corps stated his fears that successful ISIS attacks in the West and elsewhere may be inspiring other extremist groups to emerge in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Mali, Tunisia and Somalia. General Stewart also said that he will not be surprised if ISIS attacks from within the Sinai peninsula, hit inside the heart of Egypt. If such a thing happens, it will be due to the group’s extended base of operations and its increasing outreach.
He further stated that what had been seen in Syria and Iraq was only the beginning. The world had always underestimated the capabilities and reach of this terrorist group. He said:
‘Last year, Daesh (ISIS) remained entrenched on Iraqi and Syrian battlefields and expanded globally to Libya, Sinai, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Caucasus,’ Stewart said.
The US official elaborated that there might be a surge in ISIS attacks against the West since it is seeking to provoke these countries into showing violent reactions. This will reinforce its own narrative of a Western crusade against Muslims.
The remarks for General Stewart came just a day before he, along with other intelligence officers, is supposed to present the annual threat assessment report to the US Congress.
The extremist group not only regards non Muslims as its enemies, but also holds the same negative sentiments about the minority Muslim Shias.
The above threats have become all the more serious owing to the huge security challenges currently faced by the Middle East. The entire region is going up in flames.
The Islamic State boasts around 25,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria. This number was previously estimated at around 30,000. The main reasons for this decline in number of fighters are cites as casualties in the battlefields and desertions. The report also shows that the American campaign against the Islamic State was making slow but continuous progress.
