‘Sandžak jihadis fighting in Syria’

Published on 29 August 2013 at 09:50

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Some 30 radical Muslims from Sandžak have been recruited to fight alongside Syrian rebels, reports Blic, citing “a senior police officer in Novi Pazar,” the capital of the southern Serbian province, which is home to a large Muslim community.

Experts questioned by the Belgrade daily believe that the fighters —

… were previously trained in Vienna, which is thought to be the main centre for Wahhabism in Europe. According to other specialists, there are training centres in Novi Pazar, the northern Serbian districts of Novi Sad, Pančevo and in even in Belgrade. […] Several Serbian Muslims were recruited while studying abroad, mainly in Turkey and in Syria.

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The daily reminds its readers that Novi Pazar was the scene of a major demonstration organised on August 25 by the conservative "Islamic Nation of Sandžak" —

… to show support for the populations of Middle Eastern countries that have been struck by war and political instability.

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