Suspects caught by TEK not Islamic extremists, says head of national security committee

Budapest, November 25 (MTI) – Suspects apprehended by counter-terrorism force TEK last weekend have no affiliation with Islamic extremist groups, Zsolt Molnar, head of parliament’s national security committee, said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday TEK said it apprehended six people, members of gangs in possession of automatic weapons, explosives and ammunition last weekend. It also confirmed increased security provided to protected persons until the end of the current series of counter-terrorism operations.

Speaking after a national security committee meeting held behind closed doors, Molnar said TEK chief Janos Hajdu gave committee members a detailed account of the operation. Noting that details about the operation were confidential, Molnar confirmed that the suspects were not part of a cell of Islamic State militants. The gang members were extremists “with troubling ideologies,” he said.

Bernadett Szel of LMP, Adam Mirkoczki of Jobbik party, and Szilard Nemeth, the committee’s vice chairman for Fidesz, all expressed thanks for TEK’s operation and said the counter-terrorism unit had prevented “a serious crime”.

Mirkoczki said the operation was not a mere “PR stunt” by TEK nor had media reports about it been exaggerated.

Committee members were also briefed on Hungary and Europe’s security situation by interior ministry staff and representatives of the secret services. MPs said they discussed the implications of Tuesday’s downing a Russian fighter jet by Turkey as well as the Paris attacks.

On the downing of the Russian warplane, Szel said Hungary should assist in clearing up the incident arguing that chaos only favours the terrorists. On the topic of the Paris attacks, she said it was proof of the emergence of “a new form of terrorism” and that stopping it will require that intelligence agencies cooperate more efficiently.