GETTY Security chiefs fear a chemical drone strike would be extremely hard to prevent

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Security chiefs fear such an attack would spark pandemonium and admit it could prove extremely difficult to prevent. The ISIS chemical weapons drone scenario is only theoretical at this stage but this new nightmare for European security services is based on real data and specific investigations. The possibility was raised by French intelligence services after they finished analysing the computer of terror chief Salah Abdeslam, who commanded the ISIS unit responsible for the massacres in Paris on 13 November 2015. Officers in the French capital found information suggesting terrorists were planning several other attacks, including at least one featuring the use of chemical weapons on remote-controlled aircraft.

GETTY ISIS fighters have been developing chemical drone technology

Drones are handcrafted using polystyrene and very cheap Chinese components while chlorine and mustard gas can easily be smuggled to Europe through Turkey Intelligence officer

European security forces are taking the threat seriously because of credible evidence that ISIS has been working on the development of both technologies for several years. Chemical weapons are seen as a viable option for jihadists and the first attempts to use them or put them in mortar bombs or rocket launchers dates back to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But unlike other terrorist organisations, ISIS has been able to move forward using chemical weapons which found their way to its Syrian strongholds after the looting of Libyan dictator Muanmar Gaddafi's weapons arsenals. Intelligence chiefs believe ISIS weapons manufacturers have studied those samples and some Iraqi samples left over from the time of Saddam Hussein. They fear Dash could be capable of producing significant quantities of mustard gas and chlorine and also developing the technology to deploy such chemical weapons in mortar shells.

GETTY A chemical drone attack on a European city could cause pandemonium

According to recent research by IHS Conflict Monitor, an English research centre specialising in military intelligence, parts of these products have already been used on the Syrian and Iraqi front lines in at least 52 attacks since 2014 in which ISIS fighters have used bombs made from chlorine and mustard gas. According to the analysis of many Western intelligence services, the final goal of ISIS leaders is to include those weapons in drones already widely used in the Iraqi and Syrian front. After being initially used to film the operations of car bombs, Isis has begun to use the unmanned aircrafts to drop 40mm grenades right on the enemy.

GETTY French intelligence officers raised the alarm of a possible drone attack in Europe

The fight against ISIS Fri, November 18, 2016 The battle against ISIS militants (also abbreviated as Daesh, ISIL, IS and Islamic State) continues in the Middle East. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 183 Forces battle against ISIS