Ex MI6 Spy: ISIS Plotting Christmas Attacks in Europe

A former MI6 operative who spied on al-Qaeda has warned that an Islamic State leader is coordinating attacks on Europe, including the United Kingdom, over the Christmas period in revenge for the republishing of Mohammed cartoons.

Former terrorist bombmaker-turned informant Aimen Dean told members of the security and policing professions at an online International Security Week conference based in London that plans to commit terrorist acts are being hatched in Islamist-held areas of Libya and northern Syria, and are being coordinated by Abu Omar al-Shishani.

Dean said: “The worry is that, according to people who know him, [Shishani] is planning to avenge the Prophet Mohamed cartoons in places like Germany, UK, France and all around Christmas time.

“I’m afraid I’m not bearing good news but we need to be worried about the wave of terror that is coming from northern Syria and Libya for Christmas this year.”

On November 3rd, the Home Office raised the security threat level to “severe”, indicating that a terror attack is considered “highly likely”. The decision came after three major Islamist terror attacks in Europe, two in France and one in Austria.