Flemish jihadis involved in Syria atrocities?

Mayor of Vilvoorde Hans Bonte: "Security services have been telling us for some time that Flemish youngsters are involved in IS's most hideous atrocities."

He says that Jihadi fighters from Antwerp and Vilvoorde serve as IS commanders. He believes more and more Belgians are active in Iraq too. "The way and the speed at which formally functioning young guys and women are being radicalised are disturbing and beyond rational thought."

The daily Het Laatste Nieuws earlier claimed that a Flemish fighter Abdelmajid Gharmaoui was identified as one of those involved in the beheadings. Abdelmajid Gharmaoui from Vilvoorde was convicted in his absence in connection with the Sharia4Belgium affair. Belgian public prosecutors are investigating the matter. Judicial sources the VRT has spoken to deny that Abdelmajid Gharmaoui was involved in the beheading.

Mayor of Vilvoorde and lawmaker Hans Bonte also plans to table legislation to withdraw travel documents from minors who can reasonably be thought to be about to go abroad to commit terrorist atrocities.

The Vilvoorde Mayor thinks that often there are indications that youngsters are getting ready to leave but that youth protection services fail to act quickly.
"The greatest danger threatens when they return. You can say they are no longer allowed into the country, but the reality is that they will return."

The Mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever, isn't surprised either: "There are indications that people from here are present in the most radical group. This is why I've been requesting action to withdraw their nationality so that they cannot return.

Mr De Wever believes that up to 5,000 jihadis from the EU's Schengen Zone are active in Syria and could return to Europe and move around freely. Mr De Wever believes this poses a great threat to public order.
The Schengen Zone guarantees the free movement of people across a group of EU nations including Belgium.