'Paris attacks 'mastermind' tried to recruit Spanish women'

November 20, 2015 02:48

The suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, tried to recruit women living in Spain for the Islamic State group, Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz said today.

"This person, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, tried to recruit Spaniards, especially women, though social networks to join and fight with Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

"This was not to carry out attacks in Spain. Regarding this we have no knowledge," he added.

The minister said Islamic State has focused on recruiting women to "repopulate the caliphate" which it proclaimed in 2014 in the huge swathes of Syria and Iraq under its control.

Spanish police have arrested several women this year on suspicion of recruiting women and teenage girls for Islamic State jihadists.

Last month police arrested a 22-year-old Spanish woman at Madrid airport suspected of trying to join Islamist extremists in Syria.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

5 soldiers injured as terrorists attack vehicles in J-K

The attack took place near Shashidhar in the evening when the vehicles were moving towards Sanai Top in the district's Surankote area.

JD-S MLA HD Revanna taken into custody by SIT

The case was registered against Revanna, a former Minister and son of JD-S patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his confidant Sathish Babanna in Mysuru on Thursday night for allegedly abducting a woman.

EPL PIX: Arsenal stay in title hunt with home win

IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Saturday.

Supriya Sule vs Sunetra Pawar: Which Pawar will Baramati voters choose

Though the contest is tough in Baramati, Sule has an edge over her rival as the locals may not break the pattern that she is meant for the Lok Sabha and Ajit Pawar for the state assembly, the political analyst felt.

Big blow for LSG! Mayank Yadav won't return for IPL

Langer informed the media that Mayank sustained a tear at the same area where he was injured earlier.