Islamic State planning to use foreign militants for Europe attacks

Paris: The Islamic State (IS) is planning to use foreign militants in their attacks on European countries, a report by French intelligence services said on Monday.

The report said the IS is assuming that governments have not shared information about many of the jihadis they have identified, EFE news reported.

The principle of the new strategy "reverse attacks" would, for example, send French jihadis to carry out attacks in Germany or Spain and use German or Spanish terrorists to act in France.

The lack of coordination between European countries, according to France Info, became evident in the actions carried out by terrorist Ayoub El-Khazzani, who on August 21 attempted an attack on board an Amsterdam-Paris train.

El-Khazzani, a Moroccan national, had lived in Spain, where he was registered by the government for his fundamentalist profile.

He was also located in France, Germany and Belgium, but according to leaks from the French broadcaster, there was a lack of communication between those countries.

It is estimated that in Syria and Iraq there are about 500 French nationals who have joined IS.

In addition, over 1,700 French citizens are linked to jihadi movements.