Wahhabi leader slain in gunfight; arrests made

26/04/2007

Last week's police action against a militant group in Novi Pazar reportedly marked the first time Serbian and Kosovo law enforcement agencies worked together since the end of the Kosovo conflict.

By Igor Jovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade – 26/04/07

Serbian police said they were attacked Friday (April 20th) as they approached a house in Novi Pazar. [Getty Images]

During a clash last week, Serbian police killed Ismail Prentic, the alleged leader of a group of Islamic militants in Novi Pazar, a town in in the Sanjak region of southern Serbia. Police said two others -- Safet Becovic and Senad Ramovic -- were arrested. A police officer suffered minor wounds.

Both of the men arrested are Serbian citizens. The case has been taken over by the Special Prosecution for Organised Crime and classified as a state secret.

While details about their alleged activities have not been confirmed officially, media reports say the militants planned to assassinate moderate Islamic community representatives in Serbia, as well as moderate Muslim politicians in Novi Pazar.

In a news release, the police said they were attacked Friday (April 20th) as they approached a house where Prentic, wanted on arms charges, was staying. The men inside allegedly first unleashed attack dogs, and then threw grenades and opened fire. Police shot back, killing Prentic and injuring Ramovic.

The action followed the discovery in March of a purported Wahhabi camp near Novi Pazar. Footage shown by the authorities showed large quantities of heavy weaponry and food supplies. Several arrests were made at the time, although Prentic got away.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, citing an anonymous official, said the latest action was carried out in co-operation with Kosovo police, marking the first time the two law enforcement agencies have worked together officially since the UN and NATO assumed control of the province.

Prentic had been under an arrest warrant in Kosovo. He and a number of followers are said to have infiltrated the northern, mainly Serb-populated part of the province, bringing weapons with them.

The Wahhabis began to emerge in Novi Pazar in 2006. In one widely reported incident, they broke up a concert by Balkanika, a popular ethno band, smashing instruments and accusing the musicians of "Satan's work". In November, they tried to take over the Arab mosque in Novi Pazar, fighting with moderate Muslims. Three people were wounded.

Analysts say the group's rise has been boosted by disputes within Serbia's Islamic community and a leadership fight between the Belgrade and Novi Pazar muftis.

A fundamentalist movement originating during the 18th century in present-day Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism regards other branches of Islam as illegitimate, opposes foreign influence, and bars numerous activities -- including listening to music -- as contrary to Islam. It first took hold in the Balkans during the 1992-1995 conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with the arrival of mujahadeen fighters from Muslim countries.

Authorities say its emergence poses a serious threat. However, a prominent political figure from the region says the issue is being exaggerated.

"Wahhabis do exist in Serbia, but the problem has been blown out of real proportions," a report by the Inter Press Service news agency quoted Sanjak Democratic Party leader Rasim Ljajic as saying.

The issue should be addressed at the local level, added Ljajic, who also serves head of the national council for co-operation with the UN war crimes tribunal.