The European Union warned about the return of IS militants to Europe after the capture of Mosul

The capture by Iraqi forces of Mosul, which is held by the Islamic State terrorist organization, could lead to the return of militants from EU countries to Europe. This was stated in an interview with Die Welt by European Commissioner for Security Julian King.

According to King, among the IS fighters in the region - about 2.5 thousand people who came from Europe. He stressed that he does not expect a massive return of terrorists, since usually only a few return to their countries.

“I don't want to downplay the risks. Even a small number of them pose a threat, ” quoted King as saying. the BBC

According to the commissioner, now the passport control at the entrance to the European Union is "too easy to cheat." One measure to tighten control could be to verify the authenticity of birth and marriage certificates, since these documents are needed to obtain entry documents, King said.

• On October 17, the Iraqi authorities announced the start of the assault on Mosul, the largest city held by IS militants. The operation also involves Kurdish units of the Peshmerga, Shiite and Sunni military formations and forces of the international coalition against IS under the leadership of the United States.
• There are about 1.5 million people in Mosul. The number of IS militants holding the city is estimated at 5,000. *