Police in Kosovo have said officers prevented simultaneous attacks by the Islamic State group, including on the Israeli national footbal team that played this week in neighbouring Albania.
Police arrested 19 people in the past 10 days on suspicion of having links with Islamic State and planning to carry out attacks in Kosovo and Albania.
The police said the suspects were in contact with an Islamic State member, the self-declared “commander of Albanians in Syria and Iraq”, Lavdrim Muhaxheri, from whom they received orders to attack.
“They were planning to commit terrorist attacks in Kosovo and also (an attack) against Israeli football team and their fans during the Albania-Israel match,” Kosovo police said in a statement in the evening.
Albania moved a World Cup European qualifying match with Israel on 12 Nov.ember from the northern city of Shkoder to a venue near the capital Tirana because of fears of a possible attack by militants. Four people were arrested on terrorism charges.
The police said the suspects had planned to carry out “synchronized terrorist attacks”, but it did not give any details. It said explosives, weapons, ammunition and a drone had been seized.
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