Islamic Jihadists Transiting Croatia, Report Warns

Croatia's Security and Intelligence Agency, SOA, on Sunday warned that Islamist jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq are using Croatia as a "transit area on their way to and back from" the war zones of the Middle East.

The report states that "no persons living in the Republic of Croatia who have fought or who are still fighting in jihadist units have been indentified", but adds that those transiting the country stil pose a security risk.

The report notes that several hundred people from countries in the region went to Syria and Iraq to fight since 2012.

The returning jihadists represent a direct security risk to their countries of origin, since these persons are "additionally radicalized, traumatized by war experiences and trained for armed combat," the report said.

It said that the extremists use the internet and social networks to spread their views and recruit supporters.

The SOA said it had made the document public as part of moves to make itself more transparent and build trust in the eyes of the public.