Spy Agency Sees Sharp Increase in Canadians Joining Islamic State

A senior security official said on Monday that the number of Canadians leaving to join militant groups in Iraq and Syria such as Islamic State has increased 50 percent in the past few months. Michel Coulombe, head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency, told a Senate committee, "The terrorist threat to Canada's national security interests has never been as direct or immediate." Coulombe added that the total number of Canadians who have gone to Iraq and Syria to fight has jumped to 75 in the past three or four months from around 50 people. Last October, Coulombe said about 145 Canadians had traveled abroad to take part in terrorism-related activities during an unspecified period of time.