Laurent Nuñez estimates that 160 French jihadists are operating in Syria

The national intelligence coordinator, Laurent Nuñez, estimates at "160" the number of French jihadists evolving for the most part "in the north-west of Syria" and ensures that the services are following the situation "very closely" to prevent "a planned attack. ".

In an interview with

, Laurent Nuñez explains that "if the Islamic State has suffered heavy defeats under the action of the coalition and the intelligence services, it is reconstituting itself in hiding".

"Even weakened", he continues, "Daesh has structures for propaganda and operation".

"Desires to design chemical weapons"

"We are monitoring this very closely with the aim of preventing a planned attack."

He estimates that there "remain 160 French adults who evolve, for the majority in the North-West Syrian".

They are divided, he says, "between the Islamic State, the rebels of the HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Cham, organization for the liberation of the Levant), the Katiba Diaby and the group Tanzim Hurras ad-Din (the guardians of the ) ".

The intelligence coordinator explains that in the area (in the Sahel, in Syria and in Iraq, editor's note), the services have "observed inclinations to design chemical weapons, to use trapped drones".

"Our concern is that these experiments give ideas to terrorists on the national territory".

But, he adds, "the capacity to export this type of weapon is quite limited and we believe in it very little".

"These people, who left voluntarily to fight France, must be judged where they committed their misdeeds"

He notes that the IS "favors the passage to the endogenous act with rudimentary means such as the ram car or the knife".

He notes "however a recent attraction of some for ricin, infinitely more toxic than cyanide".

Asked about the possibility of a return to France of the women and children of jihadists detained in camps abroad, Laurent Nuñez reaffirms that there is "no change in doctrine".

"These people, who left voluntarily to fight France, must be judged where they committed their misdeeds".

He argues that "35 orphans or unaccompanied minors have been repatriated from the Rojava camps so far".

"In total", recalls Laurent Nuñez, "about sixty combatants are detained by the Kurds in Syria for acts they have committed".

"Ghosts", he adds, "have also returned to France via Turkey with their children after being arrested there. All have been taken to court and the children taken care of by child welfare".