Terror threat

More than 200 terrorist attacks in the EU in 2015

The Head of the Europol Counter Terrorism Centre Europol, Manuel Navarrete Paniagua, said at meeting yesterday (23 May) with the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament that EU faced more 211 failed and successful terrorist attacks in 2015. More than 1,000 people were arrested for offenses related to terrorism.

The latest attack took place in Brussels on 22 March this year.

A total of 151 people were killed and over 360 people were injured in 2015. Most deaths were due to what was described as jihadist terrorism, with 17 attacks, 150 dead and 667 arrests last year.

"The terrorist cells that are ready to perpetrate terrorist attacks in the EU are mainly domestic and based in EU, but we are aware of their connection with the so-called Islamic State (IS)", explained Navarrete Paniagua.

Lone wolves and Europeans who traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside extremist groups, represent "a serious threat," he added.