Returning foreign fighters from Syria and Iraq – battle-hardened, skilled in handling arms and explosives, and ideologically radicalised – pose a direct threat not only to the security of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, but also of the region and beyond. Upon their return, they may already belong to
existing networks of radicalised individuals or they may establish new ones; and their return could
thus have a long-lasting effect on BiH society, as these former fighters may challenge existing
leadership in their respective communities or become role models for youth. It is therefore necessary
to monitor, analyse, and report this phenomenon, as well as to develop an effective counter-narrative
and various intervention strategies. So far, however, such efforts are palpably lacking.