Spain arrests Moroccan in Mallorca `linked` to IS group

Madrid: Spanish police said Tuesday they had detained a Moroccan man in the Mediterranean island resort of Palma de Mallorca suspected of recruiting jihadists for the Islamic State (IS) group.

"A police probe revealed that the accused had close contact with established terrorists involved with Daesh who are currently located in Syria," they said in a statement using a synonym for IS.

They added that the man used virtual platforms to recruit new jihadists for Syria and Iraq, "encouraging them and facilitating their trip to the conflict zone so that they could join the ranks of Daesh."

The operation was launched as part of a probe opened by Spain`s National Court, which specialises in extremism cases.

Spanish police regularly announce the detention of people suspected of having links with jihadist groups, although it is unclear exactly how many have been held so far this year.

Last year, the interior ministry said it had arrested around 100 suspected jihadists.

Since June Spain has been on a heightened anti-terror alert -- level four of a possible five -- following attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait on the same day.