(AP) Aron Heller - A senior Israeli intelligence official warned on Friday that more than 30,000 al-Qaeda-linked fighters are active in Syria, a huge increase over previous Western estimates. He defined the fighters as believers in "global jihad," which he said meant a mix of those linked to al-Qaeda or inspired by the terror network. "After Assad and after establishing or strengthening their foothold in Syria, they are going to move and deflect their effort and attack Israel," he said. "The longer the war in Syria continues, the more jihadists and radicals are coming to this territory." The officer said 1,200 fighters belonging to five radical Islamic groups, including three with direct links to al-Qaeda and the Nusra Front, were already in Gaza and have fired rockets at Israel.
2014-01-27 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive