Special to WorldTribune.com

Authorities have discovered an Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) stronghold in the mountains of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Bosnian police recently raided the mountain village of Gornja Maoca and found residents there flying the ISIL flag, according to the Sunday Mirror.

Police said several jihadists trained in the village and went on to fight for ISIL in Syria. Authorities also said high-profile terrorists have bought land in the area.

Terrorism expert Dzevad Galijasevic told the Sunday Mirror that Gornja Maoca has become the source of a major terror threat. “There is no one there who isn’t ready to respond to the summons to jihad,” he said.

Bosnia-Herzegovina in April said it was instituting jail terms of up to 10 years for citizens who fight or recruit fighters for conflicts abroad.

In September of 2014, Bosnian police arrested 16 people on charges ranging from allegedly financing terrorism to recruiting and fighting for terror groups in Syria and Iraq.

Bosnia’s Muslim population remained mostly secular until the 1990s when Arab mercenaries arrived to assist Bosnian Muslims fend off Serbian attacks.

  Bosnian Muslims, Gornja Maoca, ISIL hotbed in the heart of Europe: Terrorists buying real estate in the mountains of Bosnia, WorldTribune.com