The terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) is trying to establish cells outside Iraq and Syria, especially in Europe, the Washington Post reports.
The group’s efforts to position operatives in Western countries is considered evidence of the al-Qaeda offshoot’s determination to mount terrorist plots against the United States and its allies.
"We have seen an expansion of its external terrorism ambitions" that parallel its aggressive moves in the Middle East, a senior U.S. intelligence official said at a briefing for reporters on the threat posed by the Islamic State.
The official said the organization has attracted thousands of foreign fighters, including Western passport holders who now rank among its forces in Iraq. Some of its recruits from Europe are leaving with orders to go home and start cells, the official said.
The officials did not say where in Europe ISIL wants to establish cells, but said U.S. intelligence believes the threat is growing.