Bosnia Police Round up More Alleged Terrorists

Bosnia's State Investigative and Protection Agency, SIPA, on Thursday arrested 11 persons suspected of terrorism offences in a continuation of the September police action codenamed "Damask".

SIPA conducted raids on November 13 at various sites in Sarajevo, Zenica, Kakanj, Maglaj and Zivinice.

"The action is a result of a years-long complex criminal investigation, which has included a large number of persons being held in relation to terrorist activities," SIPA said. Over 100 police officers were involved in the action, it noted.

The State Prosecutor said the 11 were suspected of financing, encouraging and recruiting people to fight in foreign paramilitary and para-police formations.

"The Prosecutor's Office... has gathered evidence that a large number of the suspects during 2013 were present on the territory of Syria and participated in armed conflicts," it said.

"For a number of suspects, evidence was found that they possessed ammunition and mine-explosive items, which citizens of Bosnia are in no way permitted to possess or obtain," the Prosecutor's Office added.

In the first phase of Operation Damask, in September, police arrested 16 people suspected of involvement in recruiting Islamist fighters for the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Among those arrested was Husein Bilal Bosnic, believed to be one of the leaders of the so-called Wahhabi movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Alongside Bosnic, four other were kept in detention while the rest have since been released.

Experts say several hundred citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are currently involved in the fighting in Syria and Iraq, or were involved but have since returned or died.