Bosnian prosecutors announced today, Monday, that police arrested a 43-year-old man on suspicion of having links to members of the extremist group "ISIS" and planning to attack Muslims of different sects and one of their mosques. A statement from the Bosnian Prosecutor's Office indicated that the man is from the city of Zenica in central Bosnia and has previously been convicted of other crimes related to terrorist activities and fighting in Syria. The statement did not mention whether the man denied the accusations and did not include any details about any lawyer representing him.
The statement revealed that the man is suspected of having communicated via digital means with supporters of the Islamic State and requested guidance on how to manufacture an explosive device that could be detonated using a phone. It added that the man is suspected of planning to attack clerics who have criticized extremists in their sermons and reported their activities to Bosnian authorities.
In recent years, a court in Bosnia has convicted 46 individuals who returned from Syria or Iraq. Bosnian intelligence reports that a total of 241 adult citizens and 80 minors traveled to Syria and Iraq between 2012 and 2016. A spokesperson for the official agency responsible for investigations and protection confirmed that the police arrested the man on Friday.
