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In Balkans highest concentration of jihadist returnees, Kosovo leads (KoSSev)

The Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) in its analysis entitled "Western Balkans Foreign Fighters and Homegrown Jihadis: Trends and Implications" reports that since 2012, about 1,070 citizens of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro travelled to Syria and Iraq, primarily joining the Islamic State, and to a lesser extent al-Qaeda (Jabhat al Nusra, more recently rebranded as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham - HTS).

It wasn't like this in Europe even before WW1, says Vucic (B92, Tanjug)

The climate has changed in Europe, the situation in the world has never been this complicated, not even before the First World War, says Aleksandar Vucic.

The Serbian president in this way commented on rigid Dutch and French stance regarding EU candidate countries opening new accession negotiation chapters in June, and Serbia's position and chances in that context.

One more citizen from Kosovo killed in Syria (Kallxo, KoSSev portal)

One more citizen from Kosovo was killed in Syria, KoSSev portal reports today referring to the Pristina based Kallxo.com.

The person is from the village Palabarda, near Djakovica.

According to Kallxo.com members of his family are informed about his death last night.

However, the circumstances of this murder are not clear. It is not known when he went to Syria and if he was a member of some extremist organizations active there, KoSSev further reports.

Dozens of citizens from Kosovo were killed in Syria.

Kosovo: Two persons arrested for promoting extremist groups (RTV Puls, AP, Tanjug, Blic)

Kosovo police said two person were arrested yesterday in Mitrovica and Lipljan, suspected of promoting extremist groups, RTV Puls reports today.

The police statement reads suspects were arrested because “they have distributed propaganda material as a token of support to the terrorist groups” AP reported, reminding that a maximum prison sentence for these charges is 15 years imprisonment.

UNPD report: 335 persons from Kosovo registered in Syria, 54 women and 27 children (KoSSev portal)

335 citizens from Kosovo are registered in Syria, including 54 women and 27 children, the UNDP report on factors contributing to join radical networks in Syria and other war zones said, KoSSev portal reported.

Those who are going there are between 18 and 25 years old, while 72 percent are unemployed. According to official figures, 52 persons from Kosovo died in a war in Syria.

250 Islamist Fighters Return to Balkans: Report (Balkan Insight)

Returning Islamic State fighters pose a threat to their countries of origin, including Western Balkan states, says a new report from an NGO dealing with global security issues.

Of around 900 people from the Western Balkans who have gone to fight in Syria or Iraq, some 250 have returned to their home countries, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Soufan Centre, a US-based NGO dedicated to increasing awareness of global security issues.

International media exaggerated and simplified Kosovo’s radicalization problem, report claims (Prishtina Insight)

Report published by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs criticizes media coverage of radicalization in Kosovo, claiming it both exaggerated the issue and simplified motives.

While international coverage of Kosovar foreign fighters in Syria managed to bring the issue of radicalization to international attention, quite often media reports were simplistic and lacked nuance, a new report published by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, NUPI, claims.

Reed more at:http://bit.ly/2x04Baq

Balkan Jihadis Return, Disillusioned with ISIS “Caliphate” (Balkan Insight)

Jovo Martinovic BIRN Podgorica

Some jihadis from the Balkans who travelled to the Syrian conflict zone to support Islamic State told BIRN that they returned home because they became disenchanted with the brutality, poverty and oppression.

Hilmi, an ethnic Bosniak, travelled to Syria hoping that life in Islamic State’s‘caliphate would be an ideal religious environment - but he managed to escape 16 months later, disillusioned with what he had found there.

UN chief: US will be replaced if it disengages from world (AP)

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the Trump administration on Tuesday that if the United States disengages from many issues confronting the international community it will be replaced — and that won’t be good for America or for the world.

Guterres made clear to reporters at his first press conference here since taking the reins of the United Nations on Jan. 1 that proposed cuts in U.S. funding for the U.N. would be disastrous and create “an unsolvable problem to the management of the U.N.”