Armed islamists arrested outside Decani Monastery

Four armed Islamists have been arrested in front of the main gate to the Decani monastery and the investigation is under way, Abbot of Decani Sava Janjic told Tanjug on Sunday. The Kosovo institutions to deal with the causes of religious extremism, Head of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said.

The four Kosovo Albanians from various parts of Kosovo-Gnjilane, Urosevac, Prizren and Djakovica- were arrested at around 9 pm on Saturday in front of the main gate to the monastery in a car with the Urosevac license plates, he specified.

In a joint operation, Kosovo police and KFOR members asked the men to show their IDs and searched the car. They found a Kalashnikov rifle with ammunition and a pistol, as well as some extreme Islamist books, the Abbot added.

This incident is another indicator that the presence of KFOR troops is crucial for the security of this monastery which features on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Abbot Sava emphasized.