13 Albanians, others from Kosovo are repatriated from Syria

By LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania says four Albanian women and nine children, all related to Albanians fighters who joined Islamist extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, have been repatriated from a Syrian camp. The group, which landed at an airport in neighboring Kosovo, was joined by other Kosovar citizens leaving the camps in Syria. The statement on Saturday did not disclose how many Kosovars were repatriated. Albanian Interior Minister Bledi Cuci thanked U.S. authorities and Lebanese Gen. Abass Ibrahim, who has played a key role in the repatriating efforts. Forty-three people from Albania and at least 121 from Kosovo have been repatriated since 2018.