London (CNN) -- "Lone wolves" who plot to carry out small-scale attacks on soft targets, like those in which seven people have been killed in France, could be the future of terrorism, a security expert has warned. "We are witnessing the next stage of terrorism in Europe," said Sajjan Gohel, director of International Security at the Asia Pacific Foundation, a London-based counterterrorism think tank. Mohammed Merah is suspected of carrying out a series of shootings in which seven people, three of them young children, have died in recent days. Merah, 23, a self-styled al Qaeda jihadist, was found dead after a 31-hour siege at his home in France on Thursday.
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"Lone wolves" who carry out attacks on soft targets could be future of terrorism, expert warns
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Killing of seven people, including three children, in France could inspire radical Islamists to action
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Sajjan Gohel: Lone wolf attacks "very difficult to thwart" because of lack of information leaks
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Olympic Games in London later this year could be "symbolic target," says Gohel
"If it's al Qaeda-controlled, it shows that @placeholder is still able to recruit European-based followers, and to train and guide them into carrying out attacks.