Spain arrests boxing coach suspected of 'IS' recruiting
January 16, 2017
Police in Spain have arrested a boxing trainer who is suspected of heading an 'IS' recruitment cell. The man allegedly used boxing contacts to send youths to Turkey where they were trained to carry out attacks in Europe.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P.-P. Marcou
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Authorities arrested a boxing coach who was the suspected leader of a cell that spread propaganda and recruited fighters for the militant "Islamic State" (IS) group, Spain's Interior Ministry said on Monday.
The arrested man, a Moroccan national, specialized in "sending foreign fighters to Turkey where they received instructions from Daesh to commit attacks in Europe," the ministry said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
Police arrested the suspect in San Sebastian in northern Basque Country, but officials did not provide the suspect's name or age.
The suspect was "very active" in online recruiting efforts and indoctrination since 2010, the statement said, adding that he used his personal contacts through his work as a boxing coach.
According to the Interior Ministry, the suspect targeted predominantly "young people threatened by social exclusion."
Officials said the suspect had ties with another suspect arrested in Strasbourg, France on November 20. He also shared an apartment in San Sebastian with a man who was detained in Morocco. Both men followed "concrete and precise instructions from Daesh," the ministry said.
In November, French police detained four men in Strasbourg who were suspected of plotting attacks on Paris, having researched a police headquarters, a Christmas market and Disneyland Paris as potential targets.
The country has been mentioned on extremist websites as a possible attack target, but it has been spared any incident since March 2004 when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Madrid - killing 191 people.
rs/se (AP, AFP, dpa)
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.
