via 2 LDS sister missionaries attacked in Kosovo h/t Jihad Watch
SALT LAKE CITY — Two American missionaries
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were attacked in
Kosovo; it happened in the city of Pristina ten days ago, but news
reports of the beating just surfaced late Wednesday afternoon.
The incident is being tied to terrorism and the suspects responsible have been arrested.
Fox 13 News has learned two sister
missionaries were beaten by Albanians, who are also tied to plotting a
terrorist attack. The LDS Church said the two young women are out of
harm’s way and doing OK.
Kosovo is tucked away in the Eastern block
of Europe; the country is no stranger to political strife. Video from
2004 shows the break-away Balkan territory suffering from bombings,
protests and riots. Civil unrest was not uncommon during that time, and
today there are growing concerns about the rise of Islamic extremism in
the country.
Six Albanians suspected of plotting a
terrorist attack were arrested ten days ago, and authorities believe two
of them beat two sister missionaries in the capital city of Pristina on
Nov. 3.
The LDS Church released a statement
saying, “We can confirm two sister missionaries were beaten in Kosovo
and have been moved out of the area. Gratefully they are making a full
recovery.”
More on the jihadists, Kosovo Police Arrest 6 Terror Suspects:
A justice official said the suspects had
been watched by video surveillance, phone tapping, and email monitoring,
but gave no further details because of the ongoing investigation. Both
officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to discuss the matter.
Though the country of 2 million is
overwhelmingly secular, ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and neighboring
Macedonia have been linked with terror plots in the United States,
including a foiled bombing last year in Tampa, Florida, and a 2007
attack on military personnel at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
Related: Muslim immigrant from Kosovo arrested in jihad plot on Tampa Bay nightclubs, bridge
Around 150 ethnic Albanians are believed
to have joined foreign fighters battling the forces of Syria’s President
Bashar Assad and some 12 are believed to have been killed there.
The arrest warrant seen by AP said the 7
individuals — identified as Genc Selimi, Nuredin Sylejmani, Valon Shala,
Adrian Mehmeti, Musli Hyseni, Bekim Mulalli and Fidan Demolli — are
suspected of “preparing a terrorist act against the safety and
constitutional order” in Kosovo.
The six will be detained for a month as
the prosecution gathers evidence to bring formal charges. On Tuesday
local media said police and justice officials received an email
threatening to launch “painful attacks” on police if they do not release
the suspects.
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