Defence Minister Ueli Maurer says there has been an increase in the recruitment of Muslims for militant training camps.
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In an interview with the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, Maurer said the government was aware of Swiss who went to these training camps, and others who visited Koran schools.
He said the federal intelligence service had a good overview of Switzerland’s “Jihad fighters”, but refused to give any figures.
According to the intelligence service, a militant Islamic network was set up last year in Switzerland in order to find recruits who are sent to countries like Somalia and Yemen.
Maurer told the newspaper that under current Swiss laws it is difficult to prevent Islamists from raising funds.
“The intelligence service can only observe and provide analyses,” he said. “We have at our disposal very little means [to fight Islamic militant activities] since parliament has up to now rejected them.”
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