TIRANA, Nov. 13 – A football match between Albania and Israel ended without incidents under heavy security measures following information by Israeli intelligence of a threat of a terrorist attack, resulting in several arrests in Albania and Kosovo.
Albanian police in Shkodra arrested four people, who authorities suspect of planning an attack on a World Cup qualifying match originally scheduled to be held in Shkodra, but later moved to Elbasan, which has a smaller stadium and is easier to police, according to authorities.
Albanian police said they were tipped off by Israeli authorities of the threat ahead of the arrests.
Albanian police also increased security measures to a level that had never been seen in an Albanian stadium.
The arrested men are accused of planning to bring explosives into the Shkodra stadium, and police have hinted that the suspects had links to several other suspects in neighboring Kosovo and Macedonia who were also arrested Saturday “on the suspicion of planning attacks in the Balkans and receiving instructions from militants in Syria,” according to an official police statement.
Police did not name the men, but Albanian media reported they included a rural doctor and a barber who had been indoctrinated with the same Islamist ideology that saw a few Albanians join the ranks of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Local media also reported the Israelis had been able to intercept a communication between Islamists in Syria and Kosovo, exposing the attack.
Last week, a court in Prishtina, capital of Kosovo, ordered a one-month detention for seven people suspected of plotting Islamist terrorist attacks “against international and other security institutions.”
A court statement said that the suspects aimed to “seriously intimidate the population, destabilize and destroy fundamental … social structures” in order to establish Islamist rule.
“They were plotting terrorist attacks with their counterparts from Albania and Macedonia against the same targets in the two countries.” the statement noted.
Two other arrests made in Macedonia. The head of Macedonia’s secret service said in a televised interview that the suspects were planning terrorist attacks, and had links with Islamic State group fighters returning from the Middle East.
Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau welcomed the arrests but still issued a travel warning to Albania.
“Despite the arrests, and depending on the situation, there is still a significant threat of attacks in the area. Therefore, the Counter Terrorism Bureau is issuing a travel warning to Albania, where there is a concrete threat (level 2), and recommends Israelis refrain from attending the national team game on November 12,” Israeli officials said in a press release.
The travel warning was lifted Monday due to “the meaningful prevention efforts of the Albanian forces” and the fact the game was completed.
The heavy and unprecedented security measures imposed on the match, which Albania lost 0-3 after getting two red cards and two penalties against it, drew the ire of local fans, with the largest official fan organization calling for a boycott of future home games in response to the disrespectful way authorities had treated home fans.
Albania is now in fourth place, behind Israel, Spain and Italy. The group also includes Macedonia and Liechtenstein. The group leaders automatically qualify for the World Cup while the second-place team will be entered into a playoff.
