EU police agency: Terrorist fighters ‘go from Ireland to Africa’

Foreign terrorist fighters have travelled from Ireland to North Africa, the EU police agency says. In its terrorism report for 2019, Europol said Ireland is one of three EU countries where authorities have identified people leaving to fight in the region, including in war-torn Libya.

The agency said the number of European foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) travelling, or attempting to travel to Syria or Iraq in 2018 is very low, linked to the military defeat of Islamic State (IS) there. However, it said that jihadists unable to reach those countries may have been directed to IS branches or affiliates in other countries.