At least 120 natives of Kosovo have returned home during the last few years after taking part in the ongoing hostilities in Syria on the side of Daesh (ISIL), according to local police reports.
Milovan
Drecun, chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee
on Kosovo-Metohija, told Sputnik that these former militants may
establish ties with local political extremists, thus further
exacerbating the current volatile situation in Pristina. He pointed
out that ties already exist between the jihadists and certain Albanian
organized crime groups, as well as former militants of the Kosovo
Liberation Army (KLA) – a terrorist group that was officially disbanded
but still exists.
"The presence of former Daesh militants in Balkans is a potential security threat and hints at the possibility of terrorist attacks and suicide bombings," Drecun said.
He added that while the current situation in Balkans remains more or less stable, Daesh militants have already listed the region and Serbia in particular among their targets during their latest video address. It is only a matter of time before Daesh becomes ‘active’ in the Balkans, Drecun said.
Residents of the so-called Kosovo republic are statistically more likely to fight for Daesh than any European nation; The Telegraph reports that just one town of 30,000, Kacanik, managed to send two dozen local men to join Daesh's dubious cause. The inefficient local authorities, ailing economy and soaring unemployment make this territory a fertile source of recruits for terrorist organizations.
"These ties were established back in the 1990s,
after Osama bin Laden visited Albania," Drecun said. "In the meantime,
radical Islamists strengthened their position in Kosovo, even gaining a
certain degree of independence. We know about their contacts with the
former commanders of the KLA and Kosovo Protection Corps as well as with
members of Drenica Group (Drenicka grupa), a criminal organization run
by Hashim Thaci."
Drecun added that on numerous occasions, he has warned about the
existence of a well-organized, trained and supplied ‘base’ of radical
Islamism, jihadism and terrorism in the Balkans. So far, however, this
‘base’ was mostly used as a source of recruits for the terrorist groups."The presence of former Daesh militants in Balkans is a potential security threat and hints at the possibility of terrorist attacks and suicide bombings," Drecun said.
He added that while the current situation in Balkans remains more or less stable, Daesh militants have already listed the region and Serbia in particular among their targets during their latest video address. It is only a matter of time before Daesh becomes ‘active’ in the Balkans, Drecun said.
Residents of the so-called Kosovo republic are statistically more likely to fight for Daesh than any European nation; The Telegraph reports that just one town of 30,000, Kacanik, managed to send two dozen local men to join Daesh's dubious cause. The inefficient local authorities, ailing economy and soaring unemployment make this territory a fertile source of recruits for terrorist organizations.
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