Returning volunteers from the Islamic State pose a “massive security challenge”. Often having received weapons and explosives training, France is particularly at risk according to officials, with 1000 individuals already having been investigated for terrorist links in the country. But the limits to placing dangerously radicalised individuals under surveillance were shown in July, when two young extremists, including one wearing an electronic tag after twice attempting to go to Syria, killed an elderly priest near Rouen in northern France. The French government has also warned that returning jihadists could be radicalised by their experiences fighting alongside IS.
Returning volunteers from the Islamic State pose a “massive security challenge”. Often having received weapons and explosives training, France is particularly at risk according to officials, with 1000 individuals already having been investigated for terrorist links in the country. The French government has also warned that returning jihadists could be radicalised by their experiences fighting alongside IS.