Over 1,700 Europeans who joined ISIS believed to be back on the continent

DEBKAfile was founded by a team of journalists in June 2000 as an independent Internet Web site, providing an intelligence and security news service. December 8, 2016, 8:04 PM (IDT)

Out of the estimated 5,000 European citizens who joined Islamic State and fought in its ranks in Syria and Iraq, as many as 1,750 or 35 percent are believed to be back in their home countries, according to an EU report released Wednesday. As for the others, about 20 percent were killed while fighting for the terrorist organization while the rest, about half of the total, remain in the two Middle Eastern countries, the report said. The study by the EU counterterrorism coordinator will be presented at a meeting of interior ministers from member states on Friday.

Our unique angle on these subjects – and strong intelligence dimension – has earned DEBKAfile a global reputation and a steady readership – which skyrockets in times of crisis.