Government-backed terrorism insurance company Pool Re has warned British companies of a possible ISIS attack on the UK.
In its latest quarterly threat assessment, Pool Re said ISIS fighters returning to Britain from Syria and Iraq may use a drone to carry out a chemical or radiological “dirty bomb” attack resulting in mass casualties.
“Daesh [an alternative name for Isis] has developed a significant chemical weapons capability in Syria and Iraq,” the Pool Re assessment said, as reported by
The Sunday Times.
“Reports also indicate that the group has been conducting research into radiological dispersion devices (RDDs or ‘dirty bombs’) in Mosul, Iraq. As more fighters return home, there is a growing risk of a technology transfer from current attack methods in the Middle East to future attack methods in the UK.”
The Pool Re report says ISIS is “investing significant resources into enhancing this capability.”
“The psychological impact of these weapons systems [has] the potential to cause widespread panic and significant economic impact,” it added.
According to
The Sunday Times, the Pool Re assessment was compiled by a team led by Brigadier Ed Butler, a former head of the Special Air Services Unit of the British Army.
Pool Re is also working on a report gauging the risk and insurance costs of a terrorist attack on the UK using a drone.
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