ISIS general entered Europe with 400 soldiers disguised as refugees, says intelligence agency
An Islamic State general has reportedly fled from the war zone in Syria and went back to Europe with up to 400 of his most trusted soldiers.
Ex-NATO soldier Lavdrim Muhaxheri, who has been designated by the U.S. State Department as a global terror threat, went to Syria in 2012 and has appeared in several propaganda videos calling on Albanians to join the jihad.
He and his men are believed to be among the thousands who fled the war-torn country after ISIS suffered devastating losses, The Daily Mail reported. About 300 to 400 ISIS members had reportedly come back to Kosovo with him.
According to Italian intelligence services, many of the soldiers are believed to have disguised themselves as refugees in order to gain entry to Europe.
"Numerous jihadists are returning to Europe and the Balkans, aiming to hit the old continent at its heart. Some of them are being identified by security services, but many others manage to cross the borders without being identified," said an Italian security paper, as reported by The Daily Mail.
Muhaxheri, also known as Abu Abdullah al Kosova, had become one of the most public figures from the jihadist group. He once released a video of himself killing a captive with a rocket.
He is believed to be behind the plans to attack Israel's national soccer team and other targets. According to prosecutors, Muhaxheri and fellow ISIS fighter Ridvan Haqifi have drawn up plans to attack international and state institutions with the aim of establishing an Islamic state.
Aside from the Israeli football team, they also targeted Kosovo government institutions as well as Serbian Orthodox Church sites. Nineteen people have been arrested after the plot was uncovered.
The Kosovo police have rejected the Italian intelligence reports. While they admitted that Muhaxheri was behind the attack, they insisted that he was still in Syria.
Muhaxheri managed to sneak back in Kosovo in 2013, and he was photographed to prove he was there. He was able to return to Syria before he could be arrested.
The ISIS general reportedly received training with the NATO Kosovo Force detachment at the U.S. army base Bondsteel, the largest U.S. base in the Balkans.