Spanish Civil Guard dismantles main media centre of so-called Islamic State

Spanish authorities collaborated with Europol and the FBI to take down a network linked to so-called Islamic State. ©Spanish Civil Guard

Spain's Civil Guard, in collaboration with Europol and the FBI, has dismantled one of the largest media networks linked to the so-called Islamic State.

According to Europol, servers were taken down in Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, and Iceland, with Spanish authorities arresting nine people.

The servers supported multiple media outlets linked to the so-called Islamic State, the European law enforcement agency said, and were used to disseminate global propaganda and messages capable of inciting terrorism in at least thirty languages.

The operation is part of judicial and law enforcement authorities across Europe to tackle online terrorist propaganda and communications, including through social media.

Spanish authorities arrested nine people during the operation.Spanish Civil Guard

Europol reports that websites and communication channels, such as radio stations, a news agency, and social media content had an international reach.

They disseminated directives and slogans of the so-called Islamic State in over thirty languages, including Spanish, Arabic, English, French, German, Danish, Turkish, Russian, Indonesian and Pashto.

According to files seen by Spanish newspaper, El Confidencial, the network also published messages urging an attack on a bus carrying Real Madrid's football players, as well as targeting the UEFA Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics.

© Euronews