Bosnia Arrests Suspected Former ISIS Fighters on Return Home

Members of Bosnia's State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, arrested suspected former ISIS fighters in Syria after they landed at Sarajevo airport on Thursday night.

Boris Grubesic, from the State Prosecutor's Office, said the men are suspected of the crime of organising or joining terrorist groups,

The group of 25, comprising seven men, six women and 12 children, arrived at Sarajevo airport on an unscheduled flight.

Five of the seven men were transferred to a court and remanded in custody. They were Emir Alisic, Sead Kasupovic, Miralem Berbic, Jasmin Keserovic and Hamza Labidi, the state court stated on Friday.

Two of the seven were taken by SIPA for further investigation: Armen Dzelko and Muharem Dunjic.

The security ministry said the six women and 12 children underwent appropriate checks, were provided with assistance and then transported to a reception centre for further examination and medical care.

The remaining Bosnian citizens and their families in camps in Syria were due to be deported to Sarajevo two weeks ago, but matters were delayed.

Grubesic confirmed that in recent days, the state prosecution, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies and the US government, had finally arranged the transfer home of Bosnian nationals who had been involved in the conflict in Syria.

The state presidency of Bosnia on November 29 urged state institutions to work faster to ensure the return home of the Bosnian women and children who were formerly living in Islamic State-controlled territory and were now in camps in Syria and Iraq.

The presidency said there was "an urgent need for coordinated action by relevant state institutions in order to ensure their safe return to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as...