SKOPJE -- North Macedonia says it has repatriated four suspected former fighters of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group and their families from Syria and Iraq.
The 23-member group, including five women and 14 children, was transferred to the Balkan country late on July 17, the government said in a statement on its website.
The four men, who are facing criminal charges, were put in custody pending trial.
The women and children will be subject to 14-day health quarantine and medical exams.
The government also said authorities will investigate their “possible participation in incriminating acts, on a case-by-case basis.”
If cleared, they will then begin the process of reintegration into society.
A police spokesperson said that 11 other Macedonian citizens had been repatriated from Syria and Iraq in 2018-20.
North Macedonia’s court have given 13 people sentences ranging from six to nine years in prison for joining the IS group and for fighting in Syria and Iraq.
