Wahabite leader arrested in Kosovo: reports
The UN and Kosovo police in the southern part of the divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica arrested on Wednesday one of the leaders of the Wahabite movement in southern Serbia and Kosovo, according to media reports.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, September 21, 2007
The B92 television said the arrested man was the main Kosovo connection with the recently arrested Wahabi group in Novi Pazar, which will be tried before a Belgrade court on charges of preparing terrorist acts. The Beta news agency reported that the arrested man's name is Bajram Aslani.
UNMIK and the Kosovo police refused to confirm whether the arrested was linked with Wahabi activities in the Sandzak region, bordering with Kosovo. Police spokesman Veton Elshani said that the arrest was carried out on suspicion that the man had been involved in arms trafficking.
The Belgrade Special prosecution for Organized crime on September 14 pressed charges against a group of 15 wahabites from Novi Pazar for terrorism and unlawful possession of arms. One of the defendants is also charged with attempted murder.
Some of the defendants were arrested near Novi Pazar on March 16. Large quantities of weapons, ammunition, explosives, military equipment, first aid material, and food were found during the operation. In late April, in the village of Donja Trnava near Novi Pazar, the police had a clash with two Wahabis, which resulted in the killing of one of them, Ismail Prentic, and the wounding of one police officer.
The case was then taken over by the Special prosecution, which declared the investigation a state secret. The Wahabis are also believed to have been preparing the murder of Sandzak Mufti Muamer Zukorlic. The Wahabi movement appeared in Novi Pazar several years ago.
