Story highlights DNI Chief James Clapper said ISIS has clandestine cells in UK, Germany, and Italy

The comments come as President Barack Obama asks Europe to do more in the fight against ISIS

Washington (CNN) America's top intelligence official, James Clapper, said Monday that ISIS has clandestine cells in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, comments that come as President Barack Obama concludes an overseas visit where he asked Europe to contribute more to the fight against ISIS.

When asked by a reporter if ISIS had British, German and Italian underground cells like the ones that carried out the deadly March terrorist attacks in Brussels, Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said, "Yes they do."

Clapper added, "We continue to see evidence of plotting on the part of ISIL in (the UK, Germany and Italy)." ISIL is the administration's preferred acronym for ISIS.

He was speaking at a reporters' breakfast held by the Christian Science Monitor newspaper.

Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy told CNN that reports of ISIS activity in these countries "is not new" but added "it's new that Clapper is saying it."

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