Bosnian link to terror suspect

8 April 2004

OVIEDO – Sanel Sjekirica, one of the Islamic terrorists sought by authorities, was a university student, it was revealed Thursday.

Sjekirica completed a course in architecture and computer technology at the University of Oviedo in Asturias, northern Spain.

According to a report in El Mundo newspaper, he last attended his course on 20 November.

The 23-year-old is wanted along with Amer El Aziz and Rabei Osman Ahmed in connection with the 11 March massacre.

According to sources from the Ministry of the Interior, Sjekirica was also being watched by security services before the Madrid bombings.

Aziz has been linked to the 11 September attacks in the United States and was accused of involvement by Judge Baltazar Garzon.

Meanwhile, authorities in Bosnia are working with Spanish police to see if Sjekirica is of Bosnian origin.

According to AFP news agency, the head of the Interpol in Bosnia, Brane Pecanac, said they were treating this as an urgent case and hoped to have results soon.

It also emerged that the ‘mastermind’ behind the 11 March attacks Serhane Ben Abdeljamid Fakhet, alias the Tunisian, had his studies paid for by the Spanish authorities for the past four years as part of an international educational programme.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news