Drecun: The network of radical Islamists has significantly expanded in Kosovo

The President of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Internal Affairs, Milovan Drecun, stated that the network of radical Islamists in Kosovo has significantly expanded, with estimates indicating that there are currently between 5,000 and 6,000 members.

"The network of radical Islamists in Kosovo and Metohija has significantly expanded in recent years, both geographically and in terms of human capacity. Recruitment of new members is ongoing, based on this radical interpretation of Islam. They are particularly targeting young people," Drecun said in an interview with Kosovo Online.

He explains that radical Islamists were previously present only in certain parts of Kosovo, such as Kacanik and South Mitrovica, but have now expanded westward, through the Kosovo Pomoravlje region, and into Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja.

"Overall, it is estimated that there are between 5,000 and 6,000 members of this radical Islamist movement," Drecun noted.

He emphasizes that radical Islam is not currently highly visible to the public, nor are the movement's members particularly active.

"But behind this lack of visibility in public, they are very present. They have always been a reserve force for Pristina's plans for actions against the Serbian people," Drecun claimed.

He warned that, with assistance from Sunni and Islamic countries, radical Islamists are beginning to dominate the Islamic community in Kosovo.

"What is particularly concerning is that radical Islamists, with the help of imams coming from Sunni and Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others, are gradually taking over dominance in Kosovo's Islamic community, if they haven’t already done so. In fact, this entire group of radical Islamists represents a strong recruitment source for jihadists. This is certainly worrying because it is an active formation," Drecun stressed.

He points out that the military formation "Albanian Jamaat," which includes a special combat unit called "Delta," is active in Syria.

"Radical Islamists from Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania are active there," Drecun clarified.

Commenting on the recent indictment of a former member of the Al-Nusra Front, Drecun argued that Pristina is only conducting formal legal proceedings against former jihadists.

"Given that at least 500 radical Islamists from Kosovo participated in the ranks of Islamic State, very few of them have been prosecuted. Yes, some of them were killed on the battlefields, and many have returned, but they are now essentially 'sleepers.' The question is why Pristina has not raised far more indictments and prosecuted many more of them. It is likely that both Pristina and some Western intelligence agencies prefer that these jihadists with combat experience are not in prison but available for potentially new jihad battlefronts, similar to what has been done in the past, with the involvement of some Western intelligence agencies, and to serve as a kind of reserve in Kosovo and Metohija. That is why there is no mass prosecution," Drecun concluded.