The Ministry of the Interior in North Macedonia has filed criminal charges against four individuals suspected of creating a terrorist organization. Police carried out searches at five locations in Skopje and Gostivar, and it is believed that the terrorist organization was ideologically connected to the well-known terrorist group ISIS.

“The aim of the members of the terrorist cell was to carry out a terrorist act against civilian targets—so-called soft targets—or public facilities in the country, in order to create a sense of insecurity or fear among citizens. To achieve this goal, the first defendant created several groups on the social network Telegram, where he distributed previously obtained and translated ISIS propaganda materials and recruited new members,” the Ministry of the Interior announced.

Following the criminal charges by the Ministry of the Interior, the prosecutor’s office for the prosecution of organized crime and corruption has taken action in this case, and the suspects are now in custody.

During the search conducted by the police in the presence of the competent public prosecutor, automatic rifles, pistols, computer equipment, and mobile phones were found in the possession of all the suspects. These items will undergo further expert examination.