250 recruits blocked
INTELLIGENCE chiefs have warned that Brit terrorists returning from Syria could try to enlist in the Army.
About 250 have so far failed security checks designed to weed out potential threats.
But concerns have grown in recent months that more may try to sign up as Islamic State begins to crumble.
A senior intelligence source said: “A terrorist who joins the Army could end up guarding the Queen or members of the Royal Family, while one who joined the Royal Navy could serve on board a nuclear submarine.
“A sleeper terrorist in the ranks could one day urge other recruits to turn their guns on their fellow comrades or members of the public – the threat is very real.”
British authorities estimate that about 850 people travelled from the UK to support or fight for jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria.
They include Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, one of four British-born Isis members, dubbed The Beatles, who have guarded, tortured and beheaded foreign hostages in Syria.
It is now thought UK-born Isis fighters could try to gain British military training back home.
One of the main areas of concern is the Army Reserves, where recruits can learn how to defuse and make bombs in the Royal Engineers or the Royal Logistics Corps.
Infantry units could also give potential recruits access to weapons.
All recruits wanting to serve in the Armed Forces must undergo a series of background checks to ensure their identity and integrity.
But additional counter-terrorist checks are carried out on individuals who have links to countries where a terrorist threat exists. And Government figures and a series of Freedom of Information requests have shown that over 250 recruits have so far failed the security vetting process.
Islamic State leaders have been calling on followers to join the Army and police to carry out attacks.
A jihadi terrorist manual explained how the atrocities committed in the Middle East are part of a wider strategy that includes plans to wreak mayhem in the UK.
The handbook, called the Management of Savagery, also revealed that infiltration operations have been going on for years – meaning a sleeper cell may already have got inside the armed forces or police.
Written by influential jihadi Abu Bakr Naji, the guide has been carefully studied by the terrorist commanders in Syria and Iraq, to whom it explains: “Our battle is long and still in its beginning… “However, its length provides an opportunity for infiltrating the adversaries.
“We should infiltrate the police forces, the armies, private security companies, sensitive civil institutions.”