Finland Times

     According to the Finnish Security Intelligence Service, the some 50 persons joined the radical Islamic State (IS). About 20 have returned to Finland and 6 to 8 have died in conflicts.

     Chief Inspector of Helsinki Police Department Jari Taponen told Yle that in recent months it has been also observed that the number of young women who are interested in radicalism is on the rise.

     It is crucial to prevent people from traveling to the conflict zones, claimed Taponen.

     However, preventative measures are extremely hard to implement because of the difficulties in identifying people who have intentions to join the "holy wars," the police officer added.

     As many of the persons who have left to participate in jihad are from the capital region, the Helsinki Police Department is due to start a mentoring program in cooperation with several organizations to prevent radicalization in the coming autumn, said Yle.