‘We swear that we will strike America’: Islamic State threatens more Paris-style attacks on West

THE Islamic State isn’t done. It has released a new propaganda video, threatening more bloodshed in Western countries.

A man identified in the subtitiles as Al Karar the Iraqi, center, gestures as he speaks at an undisclosed location in this image taken from undated video footage released by Islamic State. Picture: Supplied

ISLAMIC State has threatened Paris-style attacks in countries taking part in air strikes over Syria.

In an 11-minute video released on social media, and featuring what appear to be Islamic State fighters posing with high-powered weapons and an Islamic State flag, a man identified in subtitles as Al Ghareeb the Algerian issues a warning to the West.

“We say to the states that take part in the crusader campaign that, by God, you will have a day, God willing, like France’s and by God, as we struck France in the centre of its abode in Paris, then we swear that we will strike America at its centre in Washington,” the man says, in a translation by news agency Reuters.

“I say to the European countries that we are coming, coming with booby traps and explosives, coming with explosive belts and (gun) silencers and you will be unable to stop us because today we are much stronger than before.”

The authenticity of the video has yet to be verified and it is not clear if Australia was mentioned. The Turnbull Government, which has been dropping bombs on Syrian targets since September, has so far ruled out increasing Australia’s presence there.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said this morning Australia’s committment to the air raid efforts was second only to the US in scale.

A US Department of Homeland Security official refused to comment on the video, according to Reuters, saying it had not received information about a specific threat.

However, FBI Director James Comey yesterday confirmed it had 900 active investigations into Islamic State across all 50 US states.

“While we take all threats seriously, we do not have specific credible information of an attack on the US homeland,” a DHS official told Reuters of the latest video.

French military forces attacked 20 targets in the IS stronghold of Raqqa in Syria yesterday in retaliation for the Paris attacks, which have killed 132 people and wounded more than 300 others. French President Francois Hollande has declared “war” on Islamic State and terrorism.

A French defence official told Associated Press that the “massive” air strikes had destroyed two jihadi sites in IS’s de facto capital, destroying a jihadi training camp and a munitions dump, where Iraqi intelligence officials say the attacks on Paris were planned.

It was also revealed yesterday that a series of tweets posted from four credible IS-linked accounts appeared to warn of the Paris atrocities, including a series of co-ordinated bombings and mass shootings, at least 72 hours before a group of eight terrorists struck the French capital.

Originally published as ‘We swear that we will strike America’: Islamic State threatens more Paris-style attacks on West