ISIS supporters post photos of notes showing group's logo and messages near famous Italian landmarks warning of counting down 'till the zero hour'
- Extremist group claim their fighters are already in the heart of Europe
- Fears that ISIS have exploited the Mediterranean refugee crisis
- Threatening photos apparently taken at the
Colesseum and tourist spots
Flouting
their terror credentials, with Rome’s Colosseum as the backdrop, ISIS
supporters have posted photos purporting to show they are already in
Europe and counting down ‘till the zero hour’.
The
alarming images, published on Twitter, have emerged as Libyan
intelligence claims that the Islamic State are exploiting the
Mediterranean refugee emergency to send its fighters into the heart of
Europe.
ISIS
have made frightening inroads into Libya in recent months taking
control of several cities including Sirte, Gaddafi’s birthplace.
Frightening: This picture, supposedly showing how ISIS fighters are in Rome, was shared on Twitter
Terror: The pictures taken by landmarks and in train stations were translated and shared by watch group SIte
Attack: Another set of images shows vehicles of Italian emergency services, showing the terrorists' boldness
Having
executed dozens of Christians in several breathtakingly bloodthirsty
attacks on the shores of the Mediterranean they then pointed their
sabres toward Europe.
There
have been growing fears that militants would take advantage of tens of
thousands of migrants surging across the Mediterranean to send
operatives to Europe.
Now it appears -they have already arrived.
The
threatening photos apparently taken at landmarks and train stations in
Italy show a piece of paper displaying the Islamic state logo and
messages such as ‘ Islamic State in Rome. We are in your streets.’
Threat: The latest posts are not the first time Rome, the home of Christianity, has been made a target
One ominous post was accompanied by the Arabic for ‘ #Islamic State in Rome. Now is observing and locating for the target. Waiting for the zero hour.’
Some
of the pictures show venues in Milan, including the city’s cathedral
and the venues of the Expo exhibition in several others.
Police vehicles in the background of many of the pictures seem intended to further underline the would-be terrorists’ boldness.
However
the authenticity of the posts, which were published and translated by
the terror watch website Site, cannot be independently confirmed.
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It is
not the first time that the jihadist group have identified Rome, the
home of Christianity, as a symbolic target. Previously the Islamic
militants’ own magazine published a mock-up of the black flag of ISIS
flying over St Peter’s square on the front page of their propaganda
magazine Dabiq .
The
pictures have emerged as the Libyan government warned that ISIS
terrorists are on their way to Europe hidden amongst refugees.
Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa
receive water as they wait at a detention centre in Tripoli, Libya. The
country's authorities have warned that ISIS terrorists are on their way
to Europe, hidden among refugees
Help: Migrants aboard a German navy
frigate after they were rescued while on a smuggler ship in the
Mediterranean. ISIS is believed to be using human trafficking to make
money for its armed campaign
Minister of Information Omar al Gawari
of the Tobruk elected government told Italian news agency ANSA: ‘In the
next few weeks Italy will see the arrival of boats carrying not only
poor immigrants from Africa but Daesh (IS).’
He
appealed for an end to an arms embargo that would allow the Tobruk
government to tackle human trafficking which he claimed was allowed by
the rival Islamist government in Tripoli.
‘To
combat terrorism the Libyans want the arms embargo lifted and they will
pay with their own money to buy the necessary arms to restore peace and
security in the country.’
While
there are no plans to lift the arms embargo, the UK is expected to play
a leading role in an EU naval operation against the trafficking
organisations, at the same time striking a blow to one of the Islamic
State’s most profitable funding mechanisms.
Abdul
Basit Haroun an advisor to the Libyan government said the militant
group was making millions from the trafficking trade while using it to
smuggle their own men into Europe.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: ‘ They
give permission for the boat owner to use the spot under their control
and they charge them for that 50/50 of whatever they make.
‘They
use the boats for their people who they want to send to Europe as the
European police don’t know who is from IS and who is a normal refugee or
not.
Rescued: Royal Marines help migrants
disembark from an inflatable boat after being rescued around 40 miles
off the coast of Libya. Britain is expected to play a leading role in an
EU naval operation against trafficking
‘The
boat owners have a list of who to take but some people come suddenly
out of the list and they’re told take them with you. They sit down
separately they come alone and in the boat they are not scared at all.
They are for IS 100 per cent.’
EU
border agency risk analysis for 2015 warned that with record numbers of
migrants arriving resources are being used up covering their basic
reception needs at the expense of security screening.
The
report by Frontex said that foreign fighters who are not allowed to
return home could use the trafficking networks’ boats to slip back into
Europe.
‘After
they are rescued they continue their journey to other member states and
not knowing who is travelling within the EU is a vulnerability for EU
internal security. ‘
A
report by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime
said that ISIS was making millions from the illegal business, mainly in
Libya but also the smuggling routes from Syria to Libya.
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