Who are al-Queda's Khorasan fighters, and are they as big a threat as Isis?

The group is said to have attracted high-calibre foreign jihadists

Khorasan have links to al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, pictured (Getty Images)

Khorasan is a group of senior al-Qaeda operatives, which is based in the Aleppo region in Syria. The core supposedly comes from those who sought refuge in Pakistan following the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. It is also said to have attracted high-calibre foreign jihadists, especially bomb-makers.

According to the US, its aim is to carry out attacks in the West using European and North American nationals.

James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, claimed that “in terms of threat to the homeland, Khorasan may pose as much of a danger as Isis”.

However, there has been criticism that the international dimension of the Khorasan threat has been exaggerated.