The Serbian daily “Alo!” published an article yesterday (September 28) claiming that Albanians who fought for ISIS in Syria are planning to return to Kosovo. The article is titled “DANGEROUS! ALBANIANS WHO FIGHTED FOR ISIS PLAN TO RETURN: Terrorists from Syria are returning to Kosovo and Metohija!”
The author, through the article, claims that at least 300 Albanians from Kosovo are currently in terrorist groups fighting in Syria and that their return, according to what is claimed, would constitute a danger for the region. The article also claims that terrorist groups affiliated with ISIS, Al-Nusra and other criminal organizations operate in Kosovo.
In the article, Bedri Elezi, a security expert, is quoted as saying that 27 people from Kosovo, who are fighting within the Al Nusra group, expressed their desire to return to their homes.
Link to the article published on "Alo.rs":
https://www.alo.rs/vesti/kim/676382/teroristi-iz-sirije-se-vracaju-na-kosovo-i-metohiju/vest
Parts of the article published on "Alo.rs":
At least 300 Albanians from so-called Kosovo are currently in terrorist groups fighting in Syria, who are mainly trained in planting explosives and hand-to-hand combat.
Albanian security expert Bedri Elezi said that 27 people with the so-called Kosovars, who are fighting within the Al Nusra group, expressed their desire to return to their homes.
The Serbian daily's article is likely based on a documentary published by INDOKS on September 25 on their Facebook page. Bedri Elezi, as he is referred to in this show, says that it is believed that there could be 27 fighters from Kosovo. Elezi says that "years ago, some of them had tried to come to be repatriated, but the process had failed (43 family members of Kosovar fighters in Idlib, Syria failed to return to Kosovo in 2013, when Behgjet Pacolli was Minister of Foreign Affairs), and not as the Serbian newspaper claims that their return is being planned. (here)
Even the Serbian newspaper's claims about the number of fighters in Syria, according to which there are 300, do not stand up to the fact that there have been repatriations from time to time. Around 100 Kosovars continue to remain in the territory of Syria and Iraq. According to the latest data from the Kosovo Police, most of them are children. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria and Iraq, around 400 Kosovars have traveled to Syria, among them men, women and children. Of this number, 242 people have returned to Kosovo over the years. Of the returnees, 124 are men, 38 women and 80 children. While around 100 have died there. (here)
Analyze:
The Serbian daily "Alo.rs" has claimed that the return of Albanians who fought for ISIS is being planned, with, among other things, it being said that around 300 people are still there.
The Serbian newspaper's claims are unfounded due to the fact that no return of those remaining in Syria is being planned and that the number of those remaining there is not as high as the newspaper in question claims.
Based on the research conducted, hibrid.info assesses that the claims made are unfounded and are classified as "misinformation" and "manipulation of facts".
Rating:
“Factual manipulation” is a rating given to media reports that use facts known to be accurate but interpret them in a distorted manner. These reports typically use accurate information to draw incorrect conclusions or claims, thereby misleading the consumers of media content in their conclusions about the actual meaning of the facts presented.
A “Disinformation” rating is given to media reporting that contains a “mix” of inaccurate sources or even half-truthful content. This rating will also address reports that have incorrect attributions or headlines that do not reflect the text in terms of information accuracy.