Serbia arrests Afghan general, sniper ‘wanted by France’ on terrorism charges – news agency

SARAJEVO (Reuters) -Serbian police have arrested an Afghan army general and a sniper wanted by France on terrorism charges during a raid on an migrant camp in the north of the Balkan country, Tanjug news agency reported on Thursday.

France had issued an international warrant for the two men, police told Tanjug.

In a statement, police said the arrests were made at the makeshift camp near the northern town of Subotica, where 109 illegal migrants were found, 29 of whom were “interesting security-wise”.

The statement gave no details on the two men “wanted on international warrants over multiple criminal acts”, just saying that police would take measures against them according to law. There were no details of the suspected crimes or why the men were wanted by France.

Police seized an automatic rifle, ammunition and a small quantity of marijuana at the site, the statement said.

They also found 93 migrants at the border with Hungary, who will be taken to migrant centres.

Last month, Serbian police uncovered 600 illegal migrants near its northern border with Hungary following a shootout in a town in which one person was wounded.

The Western Balkans route via Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Serbia is the main path for migrants into the European Union, with many using elaborate networks of smugglers who are sometimes armed.

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Nick Macfie)