A Sarajevo court in charge of terrorism cases on Monday (October 31st) sentenced seven Bosnian extremists to up to three years in prison for having joined the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) in Syria, AFP reported.

"These men were found guilty of having left Bosnia in 2013 and 2014 and joining the ranks of the ISIL terrorist organisation," said judge Mirsad Strika, reading the verdict.

"They participated in terrorist activities, they admitted to have been on Syria's territory," Strika said.

Out of the seven convicted, only one, sentenced to a 23-month jail term, was in the court to hear the verdict. The others, all under house arrest, were represented by their lawyers.

Two defendants, each sentenced to 22 months in jail, also were found guilty of illegal possession of arms, including an automatic rifle and a dozen hand grenades.

The departures of Bosnians to Syria and Iraq have nearly stopped, although some 200 people were still there in mid-2016, out of a total 330 that had left, including many women and children, according to authorities and official figures.