An international police effort involving law enforcement authorities across Europe and the United States has dismantled critical online infrastructure used by terrorist groups for communications and propaganda. Servers supporting multiple media outlets linked to the Islamic State were taken down in Germany, the Netherlands, United States, and Iceland. In addition, Spanish authorities arrested nine radicalized individuals.
The dismantled servers were integral to disseminating propaganda and inciting terrorism in at least thirty languages. Eurojust and Europol coordinated and supported these joint operations, which targeted key tools and nodes used to spread radical messages centered on the I'LAM Foundation. This foundation was responsible for creating, operating, or supporting websites and other communication channels associated with the Islamic State.
The operation uncovered several terabytes of information, the authorities said.
The websites and communication channels, including radio stations, a news agency, and social media content, had a global reach, spreading directives and slogans of the Islamic State in over thirty languages. Languages included Spanish, Arabic, English, French, German, Danish, Turkish, Russian, Indonesian, and Pashto.
The joint operation is part of ongoing efforts to combat online terrorist propaganda and communications. The Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) led investigations in 2022, providing insights into the I’LAM Foundation’s media communications. The investigation revealed that the terrorist-linked media operations were using new and sophisticated technological infrastructures, making traceability complex.
