US State Department praises Kosovo for fighting extremism

Threat to Violent Islamic extremism Is on the rise in Kosovo and is partly financed by foreign organisations preaching extremist ideology, the US State Department's annual report on terrorism says.

The 2016 report points out that some 315 terrorist fighters from Kosovo have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight with extremist Islamic state groups and the Al-Nusrah Front 58 of whom were killed.

Kosovo's “government is implementing a comprehensive strategy and action plan against violent extremism. The Kosovo Police Anti-Terrorism Directorate is increasing its investigative capacities with increased personnel and development of the cyber unit against terrorism”, the report says.

Report also stresses Kosovo government Continued co-operation Anti-terrorism with the United States, while the latter have assisted law enforcement institutions and judicial institutions in active cases against terrorism.

The report recalls that Kosovo is a member of the Global Coalition for the Islamic State Bureau and that it has taken steps to support different efforts within its capacities.

Kosovo is focused on Backing Up Foreign terrorist fighters, as well as tracking and limiting funding for terrorist groups, the report stresses.

In this context, the report also cites the law banning the involvement of Kosovo citizens in foreign armies, police or paramilitary formations outside Kosovo's territory, envisioning sentences of up to 15 years in prison for such cases.

As a terrorist incident in 2016, the U.S. State Department report mentions one August 4th, when unknown <x0...attackers threw a grenade on the Kosovo Parliament building”. The explosion has caused no casualties but only material damage.

“Law enforcement authorities have increased their capacity to handle terrorism cases and exchange information with all agencies, but challenges remain. The Kosovo Police Anti-Terrorism Directorate, which is responsible for the anti-terrorism investigation, has limits on resources that impede its ability to prosecute suspects”, the report stresses.

Globally, the report says that the number of terrorist attacks in 2016 has dropped by 9%, while the number of deaths as a result of terrorist attacks has dropped by 13% compared to 2015.

According to the report, this was mainly due to the smallest number of attacks and deaths in Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan and Yemen.

Fifty-five percent of all attacks have occurred in five countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines highlight the U.S. State Department report. /rel/