Washington (AFP) - Increasingly unable to mount centrally planned, big-impact attacks, the ill group now relies on "virtual entrepreneurs" who work independently from the jihadist leadership to cultivate smaller lone-wolf attacks, researchers say.
According to researchers at George Washington University's Program on Extremism, evidence now shows that many so-called lone-wolves are in reality encouraged and directed by IS operatives to undertake attacks for which the group can then claim credit.
"These are guys who take it on themselves to come up with innovative new ways to spread jihadist ideology and encourage attacks," said Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, who with Seamus Hughes authored the research.
What is new, he told AFP, is that these individuals, sometimes also described as "virtual coaches", appear to be developing attack plans without direction or oversight from IS leaders, using social media and encrypted messaging.
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