Paris attacks: ISIS threatens attack on Washington, other countries as CIA chief says expects more attacks

CAIRO (Reuters, AFP) - Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) warned in a new video on Monday (Nov 16) that countries taking part in air strikes against Syria would suffer the same fate as France, and threatened to attack in Washington.

The warning came as CIA director John Brennan warned that the attacks in Paris were likely not a "one off event" and that he expects ISIS has more operations in the pipeline.

The ISIS video, which appeared on a site used by the extremist group to post its messages, begins with news footage of the aftermath of Friday's Paris shootings in which at least 129 people were killed.

The message to countries involved in what it called the "crusader campaign" was delivered by a man dressed in fatigues and a turban, and identified in subtitles as Al Ghareeb the Algerian.

"We say to the states that take part in the crusader campaign that, by God, you will have a day, God willing, like France's and by God, as we struck France in the centre of its abode in Paris, then we swear that we will strike America at its centre in Washington," the man said.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the video, which purports to be the work of ISIS fighters in the Iraqi province of Salahuddine, north of Baghdad.

Meanwhile on Monday, CIA chief Brennan said he expected more ISIS attacks "in the pipeline".

"Security and intelligence services right now are working feverishly to see what else they can do in terms of uncovering it," he said at a Washington think tank.

He said Friday night's attacks by gunmen in suicide vests in the heart of the French capital were carefully planned and executed. "This was not something done in a matter of days. This is something that was carefully and deliberately planned over the course of several months in terms of whether they had the operatives, the weapons, explosives, suicide belts.

"I would anticipate that this is not the only operation ISIL has in the pipeline," he said, using an alternate acronym for ISIS.

The French government has called the Paris attacks an act of war and said it would not end its air strikes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

French fighter jets launched their biggest raids in Syria to date on Sunday targeting the Islamic State's stronghold in the city of Raqqa. The operation was carried out in coordination with US forces.

Police raided homes of suspected Islamist militants across France overnight following the Paris attacks.

"Al Ghareeb the Algerian" also warned Europe in the video that more attacks were coming.

"I say to the European countries that we are coming, coming with booby traps and explosives, coming with explosive belts and (gun) silencers and you will be unable to stop us because today we are much stronger than before," he said.

Apparently referring to international talks to end the Syrian war, another man identified in the video as Al Karrar the Iraqi tells French President Francois Hollande "we have decided to negotiate with you in the trenches and not in the hotels."

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.