ISIL Militants May Enter US Pretending to Be Syrian Refugees

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security have the ability to thwart any potential threat within the refugee population, according to Gen. John Allen, top US envoy to the international coalition against ISIL.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Islamic State (ISIL) militants may enter the United States under the guise of refugees from Syria, Gen. John Allen, top US envoy to the international coalition against ISIL, said Sunday.

The statement comes following the White House announcement on Thursday that it wants to increase the number of refugees from war-torn Syria it takes next year, from 1,500 so far in 2015 to roughly 10,000 in the fiscal year 2016, which starts October 1, amid a global migrant crisis.

“We should be conscious of the potential that Daesh [another name for ISIL] may attempt to embed agents within that population," Allen said in an interview with ABC news television.

According to Allen, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security have the ability to thwart any potential threat within the refugee population.

"I have confidence that they'll work very, very hard to prevent them [ISIL militants] from getting into the country," Allen said.

Since 2014, the US-led anti-IS coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the terrorist group, which has seized vast areas in Iraq and Syria.