Threat level of terrorist attack in the Netherlands remains substantial

The threat of a terrorist attack in the Netherlands remains substantial, the Dutch counter terrorism service announced Wednesday.

There continues to be a complex threat picture with various actors, terrorist organizations, transnational networks, small cells and singletons, which are able to commit large-scale attacks, said the Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) in its report.

In addition to the jihadist threat, there is also focus on the threat from left- and right-wing extremism, the report added.

"The threat level for the Netherlands therefore remains substantial. This means that the chance of an attack in the Netherlands is real. However, there are now no concrete indications that attacks are being prepared or against Netherlands," the report said.

The jihadist movement has in the Netherlands hundreds of supporters and several thousand sympathizers. By March 1, a total of approximately 240 Dutch nationals had travelled to Syria or Iraq, 42 of them had been killed and 40 others had returned home. Among the 160 Dutch nationals still in Syria, 40 percent are women, according to the report.

The NCTV also said it is unlikely that the IS had executed 8 Dutch jihadists and imprisoned 75 others, as reported earlier in February.

"Although there may be a conflict between the ISIS members in which Dutch jihadists are also involved, and it is also known that the ISIS regularly executes people from their own ranks, the execution and imprisonment of such large numbers of Dutch jihadists is not yet likely," said the report.

Weeks ago, activists of "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS)", a group of citizen journalists operating in the north of Syria, said on its twitter that eight Dutch jihadists were killed after a clash between a group of 75 Dutch jihadists and IS intelligence operatives from Iraq. Endit