UK army chief warns of battle-hardened ISIS jihadis entering Europe with ‘flow of migrants’ as they lose territory

BATTLE-hardened ISIS jihadis are "hiding in plain sight" as they enter Europe with the flow of migrants, the head of the Armed Forces has warned.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach has said "combat experienced" militants are heading here as they lose territory in Iraq and Syria.

The chief of the defence staff warned copycat terrorists are "popping up" all over the world because of poisonous online propaganda.

Sir Stuart used his first major speech since taking up the role in July to say Britain faces an "era of competition" with other nations.

He added Vladimir Putin's Russia are "not playing by the rules".

Sir Stuart said: "I would argue that all this combines to (be) a threat and a risk to our way of life and an element of a sense of uncertainty and, indeed, I would use the word danger."

He added: "We face a potential network of combat experienced terrorists (in Europe)."
Sir Stuart told the Royal United Services Institute the UK was playing its "full part" in the campaign against ISIS.

He said: "I worry about the global reach of Daesh (ISIS) as an idea, using the internet... using social media.

"They are losing territory rapidly, foreign fighters are being killed and displaced but they are moving in migrant flows, hiding in plain sight."

Sir Stuart also touched on how terrorists can destroy their passports and change their identities using fake documents.

He continued: "How we manage identity in a world where people are deliberately trying to destroy their identity documents and move in migrant flows - it is a very important subject."

Sir Stuart also fears the international consensus-based approach to peace and security is being challenged by countries such as Russia.

He added: "There's no doubt, it's not a secret, that Russia is using cyber as a part of (its) power.

"This is in direct competition with our approach to sustain the rules-based order."

Sir Stuart has said he is "happy to talk to Russia" but that this "does not mean business as usual."