The Pentagon’s head of military intelligence expects the Islamic State to pick up “the pace and lethality” of attacks this year and expand its operations, particularly in Egypt.
“Last year, Daesh remained entrenched on Iraqi and Syrian battlefields and expanded globally to Libya, Sinai, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Caucasus,” Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart told a security conference on Monday.
“Daesh is likely to increase the pace and lethality of its transnational attacks because it seeks to unleash violent actions and to provoke a harsh reaction from the West, thereby feeding its distorted narrative,” Stewart said.
“These threats are exacerbated by the security challenges of the Middle East, which is now facing one of the most dangerous and unpredictable periods in the last decade,” he added.
The comments came a day before Stewart and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper were scheduled to address a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the threat posed by groups like the Islamic State, which is pejoratively known as Daesh.
In addition to increasing its activity in established areas of the Middle East, Stewart said, he anticipates that the Islamic State will pick up activity in parts of Africa and Asia that include Mali, Tunisia, Somalia, Bangladesh and Indonesia, referring to the group’s “emerging branches” in those regions.
