In a large-scale joint operation, the Information Service of the Civil Guard, in collaboration with Europol and the American FBI, managed to deal a severe blow to the Islamic State (IS) with the dismantling of the I’lam Foundation, one of its main propaganda networks.
The investigation, directed by the Central Investigative Court number 1 of the National Court, had the collaboration of the authorities of the Netherlands, Germany, France, Estonia, Romania and Iceland.
Arrests and attack plans
The operation has resulted in the arrest of nine people in Spain, specifically in Salt (Girona), Algeciras (Cádiz), Anta (Almería) and Tenerife. Two of the detainees are already in provisional prison.
According to the media The confidential, the dismantled network planned attacks against the Real Madrid bus and its fans, as well as against the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. In intercepted messages, IS followers were urged to attack Real Madrid players and fans, as well as to sow chaos in the stadium with improvised explosives.
Germany and Paris also on target
The I’lam Foundation’s plans were not limited to Spain. The network was also planning attacks at the Euro 2024 Football Championship in Germany and at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In the case of the Euro Cup, images were found of a soldier with a rifle and the question “Where do you want?”, in reference to possible attacks in Berlin, Munich or Dortmund. For the Paris Olympic Games, a poster with the Eiffel Tower and a drone was located, along with the message: “The lone wolf Olympics have begun, with the will of Allah.”
A significant blow to IS propaganda: seized material and network targets
European authorities highlighted the importance of this operation in dealing a significant blow to IS’s propaganda capacity, especially at a critical time for security in Europe. Dozens of servers belonging to the I’lam Foundation and its linked entities have been dismantled, thus disrupting the distribution of jihadist content.
Among the seized material are guides to turn Muslims into “lone wolves” and documents that advocate the dissemination of radical messages as an obligation for “jihadist media soldiers.”
The network also had a portal called “Voz de Al-Andalus”, aimed at Muslims in Spain who do not speak Arabic, and other platforms such as Al Raud and Fahras, which had thousands of users.
