A Daesh supporter who was planning an imminent attack in Barcelona has been arrested

Success in a new anti-terrorist operation on Spanish territory. The Guardia Civil has arrested an individual in Barcelona who is a sympathiser of Daesh's and who was intending to carry out an imminent attack in Barcelona. The investigation, coordinated from the Central Court of Instruction number 4 and from the Prosecutor's Office of the National Court, also involved the American FBI and the Moroccan Territorial Security Directorate.

So far, not many details are known about the identity of the detainee. It is known that he is of Moroccan origin and that he was arrested this Friday morning at his home in Calle Josep Anselm Clavé, near Barcelona's Barrio Gótico, according to the newspaper La Vanguardia.

He had begun his process of radicalisation a little over four years ago, at the time when the terrorist group Daesh was enjoying its greatest territorial and propaganda heyday. However, although it had kept a low profile until very recently, in recent weeks, coinciding with the forced confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic, this radicalisation had experienced a notable deepening to "worrying" levels, as described by Civil Guard sources to the newspaper El Mundo.

As a result, the arrestee had recently intensified his activity on social networks. Through his accounts on different internet platforms, he openly and frequently expressed his adherence to the Salafist ideology of Daesh. According to the investigation, he had even sworn loyalty to the terrorist group headed by Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi. He also spread messages of hatred towards Western societies.

According to the Guardia Civil, he had also increased his Internet searches related to emblematic places in Barcelona and had repeatedly failed to comply with the confinement order. When he left his home, he adopted quite strict security measures with the aim, surely, of not being detected. These two circumstances have led investigators to believe with a fairly high degree of probability that the alleged terrorist was selecting targets for an imminent attack. Therefore, he would have already made the decision to take action, and that is why those responsible for the investigation, in turn, took the decision to involve the security forces.

It is believed that the detainee had probably changed his behaviour as a result of the recent calls made by Daesh to his followers to carry out attacks on European soil. The jihadist organisation has in fact been urging its followers to take advantage of the circumstances in most countries around the EU to carry out further attacks. In April alone, two such incidents were recorded in France and another in Germany.

As far as Spain is concerned, this is the third successful anti-terrorist operation in just over two weeks. On 21 April, the National Police arrested Abdel Majed Abdel Bary, a British citizen of Egyptian origin who was considered to be one of the most wanted foreign fighters in Europe, in Almeria. Abdel Bary, who was once confused with the terrorist media 'Jihad John', had defected from Daesh in 2015. Since then, he embarked on a journey that took him from Turkey to North Africa, from where he finally arrived illegally in Spain.

Just a few days later, on April 30, an individual from Guinea-Bissau who had shown sympathy for Daesh on social networks was arrested in Madrid. He had a criminal record and made constant threats against the main Spanish authorities and democratic institutions.