European jihadists 'training' in Syria in fights on Al Qaeda side

Up to 4-5 thousand European jihadist militants with EU passports are fighting on the side of al-Qaeda in Syria, according to Belgium’s state security structures. Meanwhile, battle-hardened jihadists are returning to Europe in increasing numbers, posing a real threat to EU security. Syrian rebels are often seen as heroes to a small section of youths upon return, making them ideal to further foster recruitment, the Voice of Russia reported. 

According to Belgian state security structures, 4-5 thousand jihadist militants with EU passports were fighting against the Assad regime in Syria, mass media of Belgium reported Friday.

There are up to twenty Chechens in the ranks of the Syrian radical Islamists; they went there from different regions of Belgium, a source in the state security agency says.

The counter-intelligence service and the police of Belgium believe that about 200 owners of Belgian passports are fighting in Syria on the side of the Islamists, and about 20 of them were killed.

It is also reported that a group of Belgian Dutch-speaking jihadists, trained in Syria, participated in at least one of the last acts of terrorism on the territory of Iraq. There is information that Belgian Islamic terrorists migrate from Syria into Turkey and Lebanon. The security services possess information about the plans of recruiters to take jihadists trained in Syria to Morocco and Tunisia. Somalia is not excluded either.

The news is alarming as the number of fighters travelling back and forth from war-torn country is increasing, according to a guidance prepared by the office of EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove.

Drawn by recruiters who arrange travel and accommodation, these men are learning to fight, being indoctrinated with the tenets of militant Islam, and could pose a potent threat once back home.

Moreover, Syrian rebels are often seen as heroes to a small section of youths upon return, making them ideal to further foster recruitment, warns a note prepared for a meeting of EU interior ministers.

"We have to anticipate the returns (of fighters from Syria), the ways to handle this, the prevention measures and especially the exchange of information on the travels," said Belgian Interior Minister Joelle Milquet.

Andrew Parker, head of Britain’s domestic intelligence service, MI5, said on November 7 that the UK intelligence service has "seen low hundreds of people from this country go to Syria for periods and come back - some large numbers are still there - and get involved in fighting."

"Syria has become a very attractive place for people to go… those who support or sympathize with the al-Qaeda ideological message," Parker stated.

In May, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said militants from 29 different countries were operating in different parts of the country.