A man, who allegedly played an important role in the Syrian war on the side of terrorist organisations Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State, was arrested in Arkel, the Netherlands, according to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, due to the man’s rank in IS, it is likely he also contributed to the war crimes that the group committed in Syria. The Islamic State began seizing control of territory in Syria in 2013 during a civil war that was taking place within the country.
The suspect applied for asylum in the Netherlands in 2019 and settled in Arkel in 2020. The Public Prosecution Service suspects that the man held a managerial position in IS from 2015 to 2018. Before that, they suspect he held the same position in Jabhat al-Nusra for two years.
“Security chief Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra has therefore been living in the Netherlands since 2019. Just now arrested. Could have caused death and destruction here too. I can’t believe that terrorist came into our country and walked free for 4 years. We are run by amateurs. #grenzendicht,” Party for Freedom party leader Geert Wilders tweeted.
The suspect will be brought before the examining magistrate in The Hague on 20 January.
(Sofia Stuart Leeson | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
