A number of radical Islamists have bought several hectares of land in Bosnia, revealed by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, raising fears that this trend may contribute to a further spread of terrorism in Europe.

The Islamists are reported to be financed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. There are about 2,000 Salafists and Wahabis currently living in the area, the author wrote, saying that Italian authorities are alarmed about the situation.

Croatian media reported land purchase two years ago, but it apparently played no role in Germany's decision to pursue its open door policy. According to the German newspaper Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten (DWN), such ignorance could prove to be a serious mistake in the near future.

The plots of land are located in northwestern Bosnia in the canton of Bihac, just a few hundred meters from the border with Croatia. The Islamists are organized into groups led by Bosnian national Husein Bosnic who is now one of the main recruiters of jihadists in Europe.

Bosnic is said to have been active in Sweden, Austria, Slovenia and Italy. In December, he was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in Italy for his recruiting activities.

The convenient location gives the Islamists a good opportunity to enter the Schengen zone. Moreover, there are still large stocks of arms and ammunition in the region left after the war in former Yugoslavia, which could be used by Islamists in their terrorist attacks, DWN wrote.

Italy has opposed the refugee policy of German Chancellor Angela Merkel from the very beginning. The newspaper warns that Islamists may "export" Sharia law from Bosnia to other European countries and therefore poses a serious threat to European security.