Kosovo repatriates a hundred relatives of jihadists, Washington applauds

Kosovo announced Saturday the repatriation of 110 of its nationals from Syria, almost all of the wives or children of the Islamic State (IS) group 
jihadists , an unprecedented operation in Europe by its magnitude.

Four men, suspected of having fought with IS, were also on the plane that landed at Pristina airport overnight. They were indicted on Saturday for taking part in conflicts abroad, the head of the public prosecutor Aleksander Lumezi told the media. Among the other passengers were 32 women and 74 children, the government said.

In a statement, the US embassy in Pristina "saluted Kosovo" after these repatriations that set "an important example to follow" for the international community.

"We applaud the compassion shown by the Kosovar authorities in accepting the return of this large number of civilians," the US embassy said.

Kosovo, 90% Muslim, is in proportion to its population (1.8 million), the European country having provided the largest contingent of jihadist fighters in Iraq and Syria.