Terror attack foiled in Spain: five Islamic state members arrested in Barcelona and Madrid

Reported in Murcia Today and The Olive Press

According to those newspapers websites Spanish National Police, working with Europol, in an initiative named Operation ARBAC, swooped on the homes of the five suspects and seized amunition and instruments for forging documents. 

During the operation of this operation, three homes and a cell in a Catalan prison have been searched. In the home of the leader of the cell, three machetes (60, 57 and 51 centimeters) and about seventy cartridges were found.

Intelligence led to the arrest of three jihadists in Barcelona in January.  They are believed to have been living in Europe for some years. Further intelligence from the detainees led to the alleged leader who is believed to have entered Spain in March. They were linked to an Alergian known as ‘the Sheikh’, a man with a history of fighting in Syria and Iraq and for recruitment for ISIS in both Africa and Asia. On entering Spain he was placed under survailance and watched as he settled in Barcelona where he was instructing young people, who were also involved in the robbery of tourists.  Since their arrival it was found that several of them showed high signs of radicalization

 The police moved in as they attempted to aquire a AK47 Kalashnikov assault rifle, according to El Mundo 

Photograph from the twitter account of Policia nacional

A fifth man (they are all of Algerian origin) is in custody at the Aluche Internment Centre for Foreigners (CIE) in Madrid.