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(Image: AFP/GETTY)

American and Iraqi officials say Islamic State has put scientists from across the war-torn region to work researching and experimenting with toxic new ways of attacking the west.

It comes after French PM Manuel Valls warned that his country could face chemical and biological weapons attacks from jihadis, in remarks made just days after the atrocities in Paris.

A senior Iraqi intelligene source said: "They now have complete freedom to select locations for their labs and production sites and have a wide range of experts, both civilians and military, to aid them."

While American officials believe the use of sophisticated weapons like nerve gas are a way off, ISIS is believed to have already used mustard gas on the ground in Iraq and Syria.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the latest intelligence on the top-secret terror programme.

Mr Valls was speaking to persuade parliament to extend France' state of emergency to three months, following the Friday the 13th Paris attacks which killed 129 people.

He said: "We must not rule anything out. I say it with all the precautions needed.

"But we know and bear in mind that there is also a risk of chemical or bacteriological weapons.

"The macabre imagination of the masterminds is limitless."

ISIS has appeared close to unleashing hell using mass casualty weapons before.

Former British Army officer and chemical weapons expert, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, said ISIS extremists now understand "the ultimate terror weapon."

He said: "Some British jihadis may been trained in the art of making chemical weapons and may have returned to the UK, but the security services are absolutely alive to this.

"Islamic State now has the ultimate terror weapon in its grasp and will not hesitate to use it again and again in Syria and Iraq, and perhaps elsewhere, until their aimsare achieved or they are stopped."

(Image: GETTY)

Government spy bosses are monitoring suspicious online shoppers in a bid to stave off an attack, with red flags activated every time potentially lethal gear is bought.

On the watch list are glass funnels, measuring cylinders and protective clothing, which can be bought easily on eBay or Amazon for as little as £10.

In October, tests showed ISIS fighters had fired mortar rounds containing mustard gas at Kurdish troops in Iraq.

Belgian police are meanwhile raiding six properties in and around Brussels, linked to Paris attackers Bilal Hadfi and fugitive Salah Abdeslam.

Reports that a siege yesterday in Paris resulted in the massacre mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud being killed have still not been confirmed, due to the extent of the damage to the man's body.

Friday's attacks killed 129 people at the Bataclan concert hall, Stade de France and several restaurants and bars.

Meanwhile the head of Europol has said the continent is likely to face more ISIS attacks after those in Paris on Friday,

Director Rob Wainwright said: "It is reasonable to assume that further attacks are likely."

He compared Friday's events in Paris to those in Mumbai in 2008, when militants killed 166 people at different locations across the Indian city.

Mr Wainwright added: "The reality of what happened in Mumbai then has now arrived in Europe.

"This is clearly therefore a more significant and threatening form of terrorism than the phenomenon of the lone actor.

"It's also a clear statement of intent by ISIS to export its brutal brand of terrorism to Europe to take it more onto the international stage."

Francois Hollande is due to fly to Washington and Moscow in the next week to discuss plans to combat ISIS.