ANSA sent shivers through southern Europe on Tuesday with a report that Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists will be ferried into Italy “in the coming weeks” concealed amongst illegal migrants loaded aboard various smugglers’ vessels.
The Italian news agency quotes Omar al Gawari, the information minister in Libya’s Tobruk government.
“In the coming weeks, Italy will experience the arrival not only of poor African immigrants but also of boats carrying Daesh (Isis),” the Libyan was quoted as saying, before also listing Malta as a target for the jihadis masquerading as migrants bent for Germany, Scandinavia or the UK.
ANSA reports that war-torn Libya “has become a major jumping off point for these vessels, many operated by human traffickers given free rein because of chaos in Libya.”
Libya has mostly entered the “failed state” category after a western coalition backed a hodgepodge of rebels that toppled the Qaddafi regime and plunged the North African country into unceasing chaos.