RIGA (Sputnik) — A Latvian national, who had joined Islamic State (IS) extremists, died in Syria, Chief of the Latvian Security Police Normunds Mezviets said.
"This man was an active member of the Latvian Muslim community and left for Syria with his wife and an infant," Mezviets told the Latvian LNT television channel in an interview.
The Latvian Security Police have started criminal trials against three citizens, including a former head of the Latvian Islamic Culture Center, Oleg Petrov, on unlawful participation in the armed conflict in Syria.
The IS, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries, is notorious for recruiting people in its ranks from all over the world. The group's extensive online propaganda particularly targets young people.
The IS controls large territories in Syria and Iraq, expanding its influence to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa.