LARGE NUMBER OF AIRSOFT CLUBS IN THE FBiH NOT COINCIDENCE, BUT REAL DANGER

BELGRADE, NOVEMBER 17 /SRNA/ – The mass proliferation of airsoft clubs in the Federation of BiH cannot be coincidence as their activities represent a covert preparation for some kind of future armed conflict, believes former Counterintelligence Service officer Ljuban Karan.

"That mass membership says it all. There is a real danger. If they are only sports clubs, then why are their activities accompanied by wartime flags and wartime chants? Why do promo videos for new members feature instructors who are not from BiH? What they are doing is very serious. It needs to be stopped," Karan warned.

In his statement to SRNA, he recalled that Wahhabis previously trained in shooting secretly at official firing ranges of the Armed Forces of BiH, and he particularly drew attention to the paintball discipline.

"Young men, or even children, turn it into a game. They are essentially crossing that psychological barrier between shooting at a target and shooting at people - they shoot at live people, which is very important for preparing for real combat or military activities. This practice is not good," Karan noted.

He reiterated that involvement in this so-called sport is actually psychological preparation for war and a way of creating an atmosphere for some wartime option, emphasizing that it is something that should be controlled, even banned.

"It should be stressed that the European Commission has also warned that this is something dangerous, unacceptable, risky, and something that should be prevented. So, there is a very good reason to demand an explanation and a halt to these activities," Karan said.

Večernji List daily, in its BiH edition, citing a report from the European Commission, published that clubs for martial arts and airsoft clubs connected to Islamic extremism and often run by radicalized individuals represent a particular security problem for BiH.

According to data from August, there are 80 active airsoft clubs in the FBiH, of which 25 are in the Federation Association. Zenica currently has five clubs, Zavidovići three, Tešanj six, Kakanj two, Sarajevo around ten, and Mostar three airsoft clubs.