Bosnian Muslims ban groups promoting terrorism

Bosnia's Islamic Community, the only official Bosnian Muslim religious institution says groups that lure people into joining terrorist organizations will have to be closed by March 1.

Dozens of congregations, gathering nearly 3,000 believers mainly in rural areas, have formed over the years outside of the official structure. Some pursue perverted interpretations of religion not traditional among the nearly 2 million Bosnian Muslims.

Such illegal groups are seen as hotbeds of terrorism and some members have joined the Daesh group in Syria.

The Islamic Community on Friday urged members of such groups to abandon self-proclaimed imams who are luring people into a "monstrous" ideology. Last month they sent envoys to the congregations urging people to switch to an official congregation.

On Tuesday, Bosnia's Muslim spiritual leader Husein Kavazovic urged authorities to take action after he received threats from a presumed Daesh member following his denunciation of terrorism.

Out of some 200 Bosnian citizens who have joined terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq, at least 26 have been killed, but some 50 have returned home, according to authorities.