Jihadists train in Albania

Mr Bushati stressed that such a phenomenon, as in Kosovo, among other places, is fueled largely by the economic problems faced by the people allowing jihadists to exploit them and urge them to go to Syria.

"Albania has not denied that in some areas there are people who are trained for terrorist acts, but this is not related to religious harmony, as this is one of the precious values that we have. Hence the Pope's visit is intended to support this value.

Albania is working with international authorities to isolate this phenomenon and it is important that this "war" is linked to improved economic and social conditions. It is a phenomenon that has not affected just Albania," said the Albanian Foreign Minister.

But the Albanian minister only stated the obvious as it is now well documented that Albanians are fighting with the IS in Syria and Iraq.

A Facebook page, Krenaria Islame (Islamic Pride), which has more 2,400 followers, is posting pictures and propaganda on behalf of Albanians reported to be fighting for the ISIS in Syria.

One picture posted on the page shows about a dozen armed man, wearing black masks, with the title, "Albanian mujahedeen of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, with their battalion leader, Lavderim Muhaxheri."

On the 19th of August, Kurdish television KNNC reported that Kosovo Albanian Lavdrim Muhaxheri, who joined the Islamic State fighters, has been killed. According to the Kurdish outlet, Muhaxheri died of the wounds sustained in clashes with Kurdish defense forces, Albanian language media in Priština have said.

The 24-year-old extremist from the town of Kačanik in Kosovo first joined Jihad in Syria and committed brutal crimes there. In late July he posted photos on Facebook showing him holding a Syrian teenager, preparing to decapitate him with a knife, and then holding the severed head in his hands, posing in front of the camera.

Earlier, in an interview published by the Tirana daily Dita on August 2, he had stated that he "did nothing more than what members of the KLA did during the war (in Kosovo)." The media in Priština at the time reported that the extremist justified the execution of the 19-year-old Syrian by saying that "such penalty is prescribed in the Koran," and that the victim was "a spy."

Previously, Muhaxheri, described as the best-known Albanian member of the Islamic State organization, was in the media in June when he published a photograph of himself "burning the Kosovo passport."

In a video message shot in Syria and posted on YouTube, Muhaxheri calls on Muslims to join the fight to establish an Islamic state based on Sharia law. “Brothers, I advise you to not stay one moment more in your homes, but prepare and journey toward jihad...We thank Allah for allowing us to join these lions from all over the world to protect here the honour of our Muslim sisters,” he stated.