SKOPJE,
Macedonia — Macedonian officials announced Thursday that nine people
had been arrested and that 27 more were being sought in a crackdown on
citizens who traveled to the Middle East to fight alongside the Islamic
State group or who helped recruit fighters for it.
The
operation took place in five cities, government security officials
said, and was aimed primarily at the Islamic State’s network of
recruiters and organizers.
“The
mere fact that these people were present on those battlefields and have
returned here is an indicator that terrorist acts against Macedonia are a real possibility,” said Interior Minister Mitko Chavkov.
Many
of those still being sought are believed to be in the Middle East.
Macedonian officials estimate that 130 citizens have gone to Syria and
Iraq to join the Islamic State, also known as ISIS
or ISIL. Officials say that at least 16 have been killed. This first
wave of arrests follows an investigation that lasted nearly a year,
officials said.
Under a Macedonian antiterrorism law, it is illegal to take part in any paramilitary movements or armed conflicts abroad.
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