Arrested extremists placed in 30-day custody

PRISTINA - Kosovo's Special Court ordered on Thursday that 40 ethnic Albanians suspected of involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq and of supporting terrorist organisations be placed in 30-day custody.

They were arrested in a large-scale operation by the Kosovo police on Monday.

Five of the suspects admitted to visiting Syria, but denied their involvement in the fighting there or membership in any terrorist organisation.

The other suspects denied the allegations of being members of the terrorist organisations Al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Commenting on the arrest of 40 ethnic Albanians, Kosovo's special prosecutors Blerim Isufaj, Sulj Hodza and Sevdije Morina and police spokesperson Baki Keljani told a news conference in Pristina on Monday that the investigation is much broader, will continue in other segments and include more people.

The large-scale operation included all the local police departments in Kosovo and resulted in 60 searches and seizure of a large quantity of physical evidence, like firearms, explosives, electronic devices and passports, they stated.

The legal basis for the arrests lies in the suspects' membership in organisations listed as terrorist by the UN, they underlined.

Acting Chief Special Prosecutor Sevdije Morina said some officials of the Islamic Church were also under investigation.

Local media have reported that another two people were arrested in Kosovo on Thursday and that they are suspected of the same crimes.

AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu