Paris Attacks: ISIS Has New External Operations Unit, Officials Say
- 9 years ago
ISIS has developed a specific group within its organization dedicated to launching terrorist attacks abroad, like the one the claimed more than 100 lives in Paris, U.S. officials told ABC News.
"There is a specific unit on the organization charts of ISIS for external attacks, for planning and carrying out attacks in western Europe and in the United States," said Richard Clarke , a former White House counter-terrorism advisor and current ABC News consultant.
Clarke said that ISIS previously relied on so-called "lone wolf" actors that were simply inspired by ISIS to carry out attacks on their own abroad - including a number of incidents in the U.S. Recently, however, the terror group appears to be embarking on "complicated, commanded and controlled multi-actor" external operations.
Authorities said seven gunmen unleashed a barrage of bullets and bombs in six separate locations in Paris Friday night, including at a popular concert hall and outside a packed soccer stadium.
"There is a specific unit on the organization charts of ISIS for external attacks, for planning and carrying out attacks in western Europe and in the United States," said Richard Clarke , a former White House counter-terrorism advisor and current ABC News consultant.
Clarke said that ISIS previously relied on so-called "lone wolf" actors that were simply inspired by ISIS to carry out attacks on their own abroad - including a number of incidents in the U.S. Recently, however, the terror group appears to be embarking on "complicated, commanded and controlled multi-actor" external operations.
Authorities said seven gunmen unleashed a barrage of bullets and bombs in six separate locations in Paris Friday night, including at a popular concert hall and outside a packed soccer stadium.