The Islamic State anticipated Western air strikes and took precautionary steps to protect its equipment, according to a former member of the group.

In an interview with CNN, defector Abu Omar said that the Islamic State has “almost entirely emptied out the headquarters” and placed its equipment elsewhere.

“Some equipment they hid in civilian neighborhoods,” he said. “Some they hid underground.”

CNN also spoke with a current Islamic State fighter in Syria, who confirmed the group was prepared for the military response. Furthermore, the Islamic State is well aware of which of its locations are currently monitored and known to the West, and which aren’t, he said.

Abu Omar, the defector, also said the Islamic State’s recruits from Western states arrive with plenty of jihadist fervor.

“The French, they have so much control — they’re even more extreme than we are,” he said. “They come from France, but it’s as if they have been part of the ‘Islamic State’ for years.”