Some 800 police officers have participated in raids in Vienna and Graz, including two unofficial mosques. Justice ministry officials said the suspects attempted to "create of a kind of theocracy in Austria."
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Austrian police on Thursday launched several raids in Vienna and Graz, resulting in the arrest of14 people suspected of membership in the "Islamic State" militant group.
"As part of an ongoing investigation into suspected membership of terrorist organization IS, a coordinated operation planned for some time took place involving 800 officers," prosecutors in Graz said in a statement.
Christian Pilnacek, a justice ministry official charged with overseeing the public prosecutor's office, said 11 men and three women had been detained during the operations at a dozen locations, including unofficial mosques.
Besides suspected links to the "Islamic State," authorities said the suspects attempted to set up a "parallel society … to create a kind of theocracy in Austria," Pilnacek added.
The suspects included three Austrian citizens, two Bosnians, two Macedonians and a Syrian, prosecutors said. They stand accused of recruiting around 40 people to fight with the "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria.
Foreign fighters
According to the interior ministry, approximately 300 people have left or were intercepted leaving Austria to fight in the Middle East. Up to 90 of them have returned to Austria, while another 50 have been listed as dead.
Authorities said the raids were not linked to last week's arrest of a 17-year-old Austrian of Albanian origin suspected of planning a bomb attack in Vienna.
European authorities have been on high-alert since a series of terrorists attacks in Berlin, Paris and Brussels.
In December, Italian police shot dead a rejected asylum seeker suspected of driving a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin, leaving 12 dead and dozens more injured. The Tunisian national had pledged allegiance to the "Islamic State" before the attack.
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
