Iraq’s prime minister has warned of an ‘imminent attack’ on the subway systems of New York and Paris.
He said the country’s intelligence units had uncovered a plot by Islamic State militants to attack the two cities.
Speaking to reporters at the United Nations General Assembly, Haider al-Abadi said Iraqi intelligence in Baghdad had uncovered the terror plot on Thursday and claim it was the work of foreign militants operating as part of the Islamic State in the country.
The prime minister added that the attacks were ‘imminent’ and had not been thwarted. He added that the United States had been alerted.
Asked if the attacks were imminent, he said, ‘I’m not sure.’ Asked if the attacks had been thwarted, he said, ‘No.’ Al-Abadi said the United States had been alerted, and that the suspects included extremists from the United States and France who were fighting for the Islamic State group in Iraq.
‘Today, while I’m here I’m receiving accurate reports from Baghdad that there were arrests of a few elements and there were networks from inside Iraq to have attacks … on metros of Paris and U.S.,’ al-Abadi said, speaking in English.
‘They are not Iraqis. Some of them are French, some of them are Americans. But they are in Iraq.’
He made the remarks at a meeting with journalists on the sidelines of a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.
The Islamic State extremists’ blitz in Iraq and Syria prompted the United State to launch airstrikes in Iraq last month, to aid Kurdish forces who were battling the militants and to protect religious minorities.