ISIS is More Of A Threat to US Than Al Qaeda — FBI Chief

James Comey, the FBI director has warned that Islamic State's effort to recruit troubled Americans into committing violence is more of a terror threat to the US than an al Qaeda attack.

Comey told an audience at the Aspen Security Forum that IS has influenced a significant number of Americans during a year-long social media campaign which urges Muslims unable to travel to the Middle East to "kill where you are".

He said that the FBI has arrested a number of people in the last eight weeks who have become radicalised, including several people who were arrested over alleged attacks related to the Fourth of July holiday.

"The people the Islamic State is trying to reach are people that al Qaeda would never use as an operative, because they are often unstable, troubled drug users." Comey said

"I worry very much about what I can't see." He added

Dozens of Americans, aged between 18 and 62, are being tracked after travelling to fight with the extremist group.

When asked if the threat from IS now eclipsed that of al Qaeda, which carried out the 9/11 attacks, Mr Comey replied: "Yes."

Twitter handles associated with IS have more than 21,000 English-language followers around the world, Mr Comey said, thousands of whom could be US residents.

Dozens of Americans, aged between 18 and 62, are being tracked after travelling to fight with the extremist group.

Mr Comey's comments signal growing concern in the US about IS attempts to inspire attacks.

FBI has arrested a number of people in the last eight weeks who have become radicalised

Last year, intelligence officials said the most concern was about a mass casualty attack against a US airliner by al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate, or by the Khorasan Group - al Qaeda operatives in Syria.

But Mr Comey said the Khorasan threat had been "significantly diminished" by US military strikes.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had killed Muhsin al Fadhli, the Khorasan leader, in an 8 July airstrike in Syria.

Source: Sky News