Secret ISIS unit behind Paris terror attack trains jihadis to strike other targets in the West

An Islamic State secret unit that was responsible for terror attacks in Paris and Brussels is reportedly training jihadis to carry out similar attacks in Britain and other parts of Europe, according to a captured militant.

The Mirror, citing The Sunday Times, reported that a captured ISIS fighter revealed how the secret unit, known as the al-Kharsa brigade, trains new recruits to carry out terror attacks in Europe.

The new recruits are reportedly subjected to seven months of training in bomb construction, physical endurance and ISIS ideology before they are sneaked back into Europe to carry out terror plots.

The captured militant noted that about 50 ISIS members from countries including Britain, Germany, France and Belgium graduated from the camp in the space of two and a half years. He said that the applicants must be willing to travel to Europe to kill, and possibly die in the name of ISIS.

The secret unit was still operational as recently as February this year, even as ISIS lost some territories to Iraqi troops and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the fighter claimed.

"It takes seven months to be trained in al-Kharsa brigade," the captive said. "It is very hard. Every European who crosses the border to Syria, they are offered [the opportunity] to join. If 20 start the training, only five finish it. Then after that they go back to Europe and attack," he added.

He explained that attacks were organized by the Amniyat, the terror group's external operations wing previously run by head strategist Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, who died in 2016.

The captive, who is being held prisoner by Kurdish forces in Syria, further noted that the special unit has a planning center to remotely instruct suicide bombers who are unable to join ISIS. He warned that fighters had recently made contact with "sleeper cells" in Britain.

"The attacks that happened in Paris and Brussels, the attacks were trained by them and left from Syria to Europe," he said.

"Sometimes there are foreigners who come to Syria and have training for specific missions. Then they do the attacks alone. Others are sleeper cells in Europe who want to join Daesh [Isis] here, but can't. They stay in their countries and contact [Isis]. Then they talk, and when they are ready they do the bombings," he added.

The captive claimed that ISIS fighters handed out sweets to children in the streets in celebration of the Paris and Brussels attacks, in which more than 160 people were killed.