Spanish authorities have arrested 10 Pakistani nationals in Barcelona on terrorism-related charges, accusing them of encouraging killings and beheadings of opponents.
According to international media, the arrests were made in a joint operation between Spain’s National Police and Italian law enforcement.
An additional suspect was detained in the Italian city of Piacenza.
These latest arrests, conducted overnight on March 3, follow previous crackdowns in 2022 and 2023, bringing the total number of suspects in the case to 30.
Authorities stated that the group’s operations were based in Spain, with its alleged leader being a 55-year-old Pakistani national.
Investigators linked the group to an extremist network that used encrypted messaging platforms to share violent directives and praise attacks in Europe and Pakistan over blasphemy allegations. Some members had reportedly begun identifying potential targets across Europe.
Officials also uncovered a separate online group led by a detained woman, consisting solely of female members, allegedly involved in spreading extremist propaganda and assisting in target selection.
Authorities stated that the network was self-funded, with members regularly contributing to finance its activities.
The 10 suspects appeared before Spain’s Central Investigative Court No. 6 on March 6, facing charges of terrorist financing, recruitment, and inciting extremism.
The court ordered the detention of four individuals while investigations against the remaining suspects continue.
Despite the group’s operations within Spain, police emphasised that no direct links to other international terrorist networks have been established so far.
