Kosovo police foil Islamic State attack on Israeli soccer team

PRISTINA, Kosovo, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Police in Kosovo arrested 19 people involved in plotting an Islamic State attack on the Israeli national soccer team.

The attacks were planned for Kosovo and neighboring Albania, where the Israeli soccer team played a World Cup qualification game Saturday. Nineteen suspects were arrested in Kosovo, and another six in Albania or Macedonia, police said, adding that explosive devices, weapons, electronic equipment and a drone were recovered during searches of the suspects' homes.

Police said in a statement: "They were planning to commit terrorist attacks in Kosovo and also against [the] Israeli football team and their fans during the Albania-Israel match." The statement referred to the plans as "synchronized terrorist attacks," and added that police found "religious material and literature from well-known authors recognized for their extremist ideology."

The suspects were in contact with Lavdrim Muhaxheri, a self-described "commander of Albanians in Syria and Iraq" who was to give the attack orders, police said.

Information regarding other targets was not released.

Saturday's soccer match was moved from the Albanian city of Shkoder to Elbasan, nearer to the capital of Tirana, because of the possible attack. Israel defeated Albania, 3-0, in a match played without incident.

At least 200 people in Kosovo have been investigated over their alleged IS links, and over 50 Kosovars have died in fighting in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.

Kosovo is about 93 percent Muslim, while Albania is about 59 percent Muslim.