MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The joint operation involves searches in Brescia, Vicenza and Perugia, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper. The operation targets Kosovan residents suspected in "commending terrorism" and "inciting racial hatred," the newspaper said.
Three suspects were arrested in the Apennines, while a fourth, the alleged leader, was arrested in Kosovo by local security forces.
Security forces began tracking the suspects after identifying their photographs using Internet posts. The suspects posed with weapons and in clothes popular among Daesh, also known as ISIL/The Islamic State members.
Kosovo has seen a number of incidents involving Islamic extremists. Fifteen imams were arrested in 2012 on charges of recruiting militants for the al-Qaeda affiliate Nusra Front operating in Syria. In November 2014, 40 people were arrested in Kosovo on suspicion of having fought for extremist groups in Syria. Over 200 Kosovans have joined Daesh, according to the Kosovar Center for Security Studies.
