200 IS soldiers in Syria flee to their home country Spain
Nearly 200 Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria are preparing to flee back to their home country of Spain after fighting in the "hot pot" of the Middle East.
Illustration photo.
Security officials warn that around 175 jihadists could soon flee to Spain, while 37 are already on the journey, according to Spain's Ministry of National Security.
The ministry warned that IS was "one of the global threats" and stressed that Madrid must step up action to stamp out online propaganda to reduce the number of extremists in the country.
The ministry also stressed that groups such as IS and al-Qaeda could start focusing on carrying out attacks in Europe as they are driven out of Syria and Iraq.
According to the ministry's estimates, about a third of foreign fighters have returned home. About 50,000 foreign fighters have gone to fight in the Middle East, of which an estimated 6,000 are from Europe.
The warning from Spain's Ministry of National Security mirrors the situation in the UK, where hundreds of Britons have returned home after travelling to Syria and Iraq. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said British fighters who have fought for IS should be hunted down and killed to ensure they do not return to the UK and carry out attacks at home.
