Spanish Police Arrest 18-Year-Old ISIS-Linked Suspect in Tarifa Over Alleged Terror Plot

Tarifa monument general Francisco de Copons by Isiwal, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 | Jihad Watch

National Police Corps authorities in Tarifa arrested an 18-year-old Spanish national last Monday on suspicion of links to jihadist terrorism, according to official police reports. Investigators revealed that the suspect, a recent convert to Islam, had allegedly embraced extremist ideology associated with Islamic State after undergoing a significant process of online radicalization. Authorities stated that the level of indoctrination was severe enough for the individual to reportedly swear allegiance to the terrorist organization.

The suspect now faces multiple charges, including membership in a terrorist organization, glorification of terrorism, self-training and self-indoctrination, as well as attempting to radicalize others. During the investigation, officials found that the accused had developed an intense fixation on major terrorist attacks across Europe, particularly expressing admiration for the 2016 Nice truck attack, in which 84 people were killed.

According to police findings, the suspect had also expressed what authorities described as a “profound hatred” toward Spain and its citizens, allegedly discussing intentions to carry out a similar large-scale vehicle attack or another mass-casualty assault. A raid conducted at his residence led to the seizure of substantial jihadist propaganda material and other evidence, which investigators say further strengthened the case against him. Authorities continue to examine the extent of his activities and any possible links to wider extremist networks.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)