Around 26,000 ISIS terrorists are ready to launch attacks on the West after the defeat in Iraq and Syria

Thousands of terrorists on a global watch list are planning their in countries such the UK and France, according to a US colonel.

ISIS jihadis have been caught trying to break through the border and smuggle into Europe as recently as this week.

Speaking at the US Embassy in London for the Global Coalition Again Daesh (ISIS), Colonel Ryan Dillon said: “There is a database of 26,000 terrorist fighters which are there to identity and action if they are identified trying to move outside of Iraq and Syria or throughout the world.”

The US colonel said that the international security force Interpol was in charge of the global fight against terrorists and warned that ISIS was dying but could still cause alarm in the UK.

Colonel Dillon said: “They are no longer a military threat.

“They no longer have an army that we saw present itself in 2014.”

However, he added: “It does not mark the end the end of Daesh”.

Colonel Dillon added: “We are looking at the enemy and seeing how he adapts and we will provide our partners the support that they need to deliver the lasting defeat to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.”

There are fears with ISIS losing its last strongholds in Iraq, Libya and Syria that the extremists will leave the countries to try and carry out more attacks abroad.

He argued that just days ago five fighters, including “Europeans”, were found hiding in the back of a fuel truck in Deir ez-Zor, Syria.

On several occasions this year terrorists who have trained abroad have managed to sneak back to Europe and carry out attacks.

Extremists have carried out devastating terror incidents on Westminster and London bridges and on the Manchester arena so far this year.

ISIS have also made Oxford Street in London one of their largest targets for over Christmas.

The latest propaganda poster released by the terror group shows a jihadi, wearing a belt of ammunition, walking down Oxford Street in central London.

Above the scene is the chilling tagline: “From now onwards we will go to attack them and they will not come to attack us.

One method being looked at to reduce the problem is to continue to target the remaining members of the group to limit their number as of the cousins.

Colonel Dillon said that thousands of ISIS fighters are being tracked and monitored at present and Interpol are ready to “action” them if they try to ender the West.

Around 3,000 ISIS fighters are expected to remain in Syria and the US have also made it an aim to attack those remaining, either themselves or by building good relations with the Middle East.

He said: “Moving off into uninhibited areas, in areas where they are used to being familiar with, in the desert, in smaller cells, to transition back to how they began with insurgent like tactics and in efforts to conduct spectacular attacks throughout Iraq and Syria.”

“We are going to make sure we adjust accordingly, whether that’s through training or intelligence sharing.”

Source: Express