Terror networks such
as the Islamic State group are evolving their tactics to attack soft targets in
Europe, which could see the use of deadly car bombs, Europol warned on
Friday.
Jihadist attacks on
EU member states have not yet involved "the use of home-made, commercial
or military explosives in vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices" as
in Syria or Iraq, it said in a report issued in The Hague.
But "given the
fact that the modi operandi used in Middle Eastern countries tend to be copied
by terrorists operating in Europe... it is conceivable that jihadist groups
will use this means at some stage," the continent's policing agency said.
The group
responsible for attacks in Paris a year ago and in Brussels in March wanted to
deploy such devices until police actions forced them to change their plans, the
report said.
Jihadists massacred
130 people in November 2015 in attacks on the Bataclan concert hall, a handful
of bars and restaurants in eastern Paris, and France's national stadium.
In Belgium, suicide
bombers struck Brussels airport and a metro station near the European Union
headquarters on March 22, killing 32 people.
The 14-page report,
an update on methods and tactics used by IS, also said counter-terror experts
were concerned that strife-torn Libya could develop into a "second
springboard for IS, after Syria, for attacks in the EU and North Africa."
Since the armed
revolt five years ago that overthrew dictator Moamer Kadhafi, the North African
country has been plagued by violence and political instability.
"Experts expect
that IS will start planning and dispatching attacks from Libya if the current
phase, in which they are primarily focused on taking territory and dispatching
of local enemies, comes to an end."
Europe's security
forces arrested 667 suspects for suspected jihadist activities in 2015, the
report added.
AFP
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