150 JIHADISTS ARE RETURNING HOME TO BALKANS: A great danger is ahead of us, they fought on ISIS side and they are prepared for everything!

Europe and the Western Balkans are threatened by ISIS fighters from Syria and Iraq who are returning home because they are ready for terrorism and violent extremism. This worrying assessment was stated in Skopje during the opening of a regional exercise "Foreign Terrorist Fighters - Promoting of Prevention and Resistance".

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- The increased number of foreign fighters is returning home. The Pentagon estimates that around 3.000 to 5.000 will adapt in Europe and will start attacking, and the threats are increasing from the domestic extremists - said Richard Prosen from State Department.

The Western Balkans is the main road for foreign fighters, and thus the danger of terrorist attacks in the region increases.

Macedonia also faces an increased threat to its security, as 150 Macedonian citizens, who fought on the side of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, are returning home.

- No state can respond to these threats on its own, so cooperation with the EU, neighbors and the United States is needed, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said.

US Ambassador to Macedonia Jess Bailey said that everyone should be involved in the fight against terrorism, the government, the citizens and the companies. 

- The ministry of internal affairs can't fight on their own against the bad guys. Inter-sectoral cooperation is also needed in the Government itself, and citizens can also help. Macedonia's advantage lies in the fact that it is a small country and everyone knows each other, so if somebody is unknown and suspicious in the neighborhood, it can be discovered very quickly, and the fight against terrorism is just the fight against the unknown - Bailey said.

(Telegraf.co.uk / D.J.)