Spanish police arrest ten individuals in nationwide anti-jihadist operations

The National Police arrested at least ten people on Wednesday in a major operation against jihadist terrorism in several Spanish provinces. The operation, which is ongoing, involved arrests in Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Alicante and Murcia.

The operation comes amid heightened counterterrorism vigilance in Spain, which has maintained a level four out of five alert (high risk) for jihadist threat since 2015.

The interior ministry remains cautious and vigilant due to the persistence of the extremist threat and the rise in radicalisation processes through the internet and social media.

In recent years, security forces have intensified their operations against Islamist terrorism. According to official data, investigators have carried out more than 530 anti-terrorist operations since the 11 March 2004 train tragedy. This has led to over 1,200 arrests. Spain conducted 64 operations in 2025 alone, with 100 detainees.

The major operation on Wednesday comes just days after the Guardia Civil arrested two men in Valladolid and Burgos on suspicion of jihadist terrorism activity.