Skopje, 24 January 2025 (MIA) - Four individuals have been detained, while weapons, phones, computer equipment and other items have been seized during a search on five locations in Skopje and Gostivar, the Public Prosecutor's Office (PPO) said on Friday.

The PPO conducted a coordination operation with the National Security Agency and the Ministry of Interior as part of continued activities related to prevention of terrorism threats that started last month.

The operation resulted from the detection of several groups at the Telegram social app by the Digital Forensics Laboratory within the PPO for Organized Crime and Corruption, in which suspects shared ISIS propaganda materials and recruited new members. A prosecutor launched investigative proceedings against these individuals under the suspicion of committing crime "terrorist organization".

A pre-trial judge approved the motion by the public prosecutor to order a 30-day detention for the suspects.

The Ministry of Interior said one of the persons is suspected of creating a terrorist cell that involved the other three.

According to the MoI, the members of the terrorist cell intended to commit a terrorist act on civilian or so-called soft targets, i.e. public buildings on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia, with the intention of creating a feeling of insecurity or fear among the citizens. The cell acted from the position of an ISIS ideological matrix. The person set up several groups on Telegram, sharing ISIS propaganda materials and recruited new members, attempted to procure weapons and obtained manuals for constructing explosive devices they would then use for commitment of terrorist attacks.

MIA file photo