MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Some 100 people have left Finland to fight in the ranks of the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) jihadist group, Foreign Minister Timo Soini said Monday.
"We have about 100 people, who left Finland to fight in IS forces… It is a large number of Finnish [people], considering how small the community is," Soini told the Finnish Yleisradio Oy broadcaster in an interview.
The top Finnish diplomat added that it was a worrying phenomenon, as Finland’s radicalized nationals would return home and try to recruit others to join Daesh, which is outlawed in many countries, including in the United States and Russia.
Some 20 Finnish citizens have died fighting alongside the extremist group in war-torn regions, according to Finnish Foreign Ministry estimates.
