AMSTERDAM - Dutch and German authorities detained three Dutch citizens on charges of inciting hatred, recruiting militants and plotting attacks in Syria and Iraq, Dutch police said on Thursday. A 32-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman from The Hague were held in Germany on Thursday, following the detention of a 24-year-old man in The Hague the day before, police said in a statement.
Dutch authorities estimate that 120 Dutch citizens have fought in Syria's civil war, with 14 having been killed in the conflict. The detentions were the first of suspects believed to have been involved in recruiting of militants for the conflicts in Iraq and Syria. The two men were accused of recruiting fighters to join the conflicts in both countries and of planning murders and other attacks. There was no information on how many fighters had journeyed to the region as a result of their efforts. All three were suspected of hate crimes, including by posting on social media and news websites with the aim of inciting others to mount militant attacks.
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