YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. The head of the UN's counter-terrorism committee has warned it is a question of "when, not if" terrorists use laptops to smuggle bombs on to planes, BBC reports.

Jean-Paul Laborde spoke to reporters after officials decided not to ban laptops from aircraft cabins on flights to the US from EU countries.

Such a ban currently applies to flights from eight other countries.

Mr Laborde also said Islamic State (IS) fighters returning to Europe would be "more dangerous" than previous waves.

IS has been losing territory in Syria and Iraq, and Mr Laborde said these fighters, originally from Europe, would be hardened from years of war. He said several European countries believe the rate of fighters returning has increased by a third over the past year.

"On average, these people are much more committed, more experienced and more skilled," he said.

Mr Laborde said he did not know whether IS had the capacity to carry out a laptop bomb attack, but he was sure that organised criminal groups could.

He told a reporter from the Spanish news agency Efe that it might be "one, two or three years" but might be aided by the internet now being available on some flights.