Danish Citizens Returning From Syria, Iraq Pose Threat to Security

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Over 100 Danish citizens went to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside extremist groups, and those who have returned may carry out attacks in Denmark, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) said on Friday.

According to The Local news portal, citing PET, at least 125 people left to join extremist groups since 2012, but the agency’s Center for Terror Analysis (CTA) warned that the actual number could be higher.

At least half of those who left the country to fight in Syria and Iraq have returned back to Denmark, and at least 27 died in combat, according to CTA.

"The conflict in Syria/Iraq continues to attract people from Denmark but the number is falling. On the other hand, those who have travelled to war zones are remaining there for longer periods, are younger and are overwhelmingly joining the Islamic State," Soren Jensen, the head of CTA, said as quoted by The Local, adding that the conflict in those countries "represents the most significant factor in the threat situation in Denmark."

Jensen stated that those who return could pose a terror threat to national security.

The New York-based Soufan Group and the London-based International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence estimate that there may be as many as 5,000 Europeans fighting alongside extremist groups in Iraq and Syria.

The Islamic State militant group, operating in both of those countries, is known to recruit young people over social media.