Bosnia postpones repatriation of ex-IS fighters from Syria

Reuters
Updated

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Bosnia said on Friday that the repatriation of nine ex-Islamic State fighters, along with wives and children, from Syria that had been planned for this weekend, would be delayed until further notice.

The chairman of Bosnia's tripartite presidency Zeljko Komsic said this week the group would return home this weekend.

But Bosnia's security ministry, citing "sudden and unforeseen circumstances in Syria", said the return of the group - all Bosnian citizens - had been put off indefinitely. It did not elaborate.

The ministry was in contact with international partners to organize the transfer when conditions improved.

Hundreds of Bosnian citizens are believed to have left Europe to fight for Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and many are now in detention camps waiting to be handed over to their countries of origin.

In October, Bosnia's security minister said the country was preparing to take back and try nine of its nationals suspected of fighting for Islamic State in Syria but their return was postponed after Turkey launched a military incursion into northeast Syria to fight Kurdish militia.

Islamic State lost its last territorial foothold in Syria in March of this year and many of its militants are now believed to be in Kurdish-run prisons in northern Syria.(This story was refiled to restore missing words in paragraph 3.)

(Reporting by Maja Zuvela; Editing by Mark Heinrich)