CIA director: More ISIS fighters worldwide than al Qaeda at its height
WASHINGTON- The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, said on Thursday there were tens of thousands of ISIS fighters around the world, more than al Qaeda at its height.
He also told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that the agency was concerned about the growth of Libya as a base of operations for ISIS militants, who had 5,000-8,000 fighters there, although the group's fighters in Iraq and Syria had dropped to 18,000 to 22,000 from 19,000 to 25,000.
"I am concerned about the growth of Libya as another area that could serve as the basis for ISIL to carry out attacks inside of Europe... that is very concerning," Brennan said, using an alternative acronym for the ISIS militant group.
