14 held in 'anti-terror' raids in Spain, Morocco

Fourteen people were arrested Tuesday in Spain and Morocco during an "anti-terrorist operation" targeting recruiters for Daesh group, Spain's interior ministry said.

The operation was continuing, the ministry said, without giving any details.

The intelligence services of both countries "today arrested 14 people in Martin de la Vega (in the Madrid region) and in Fez, Casablanca, Nador, Al Hoceima and Driouech in Morocco."

"Those arrested belong to a network recruiting and sending foreign fighters to join the ranks of Daesh," it said.

Daesh launched an offensive in June 2014 north of Baghdad and has since overrun large parts of Iraq and Syria.

It has been accused of crimes against humanity and a slew of barbaric attacks, beheadings, rape and ethnic cleansing.

Europe has been grappling with growing jihadist cells and radicalised Muslims leaving to fight for Daesh or joining the rebels in Iraq and Syria.

France has the highest overall numbers joining the jihad, with the government reporting that 843 had left for Syria as of May -- more than half of them unknown to authorities at the time of their departure.
Source: AFP