There is a recurring pattern: The perpetrators are young, Arab men who reside illegally in Europe and have not yet been repatriated. They act alone, armed with a knife, and have learned about jihad online, through WhatsApp groups and other social media networks. Although all “infidels” are considered the enemy, their primary targets are Christians. Two years ago, the Islamic State ordered its followers to attack churches in Spain. Now, it seems that the call is being heeded.
On January 25, a Moroccan man attacked two churches in Algeciras, Cadiz, in southern Spain. Armed with a machete and clad in a djellaba, the man seriously wounded a priest at the church of Maria Auxiliadora y San Isidro, attacked those attending Mass, destroyed sacred artifacts, and praised Allah. At Nuestra Señora de La Palma, he killed the sacristan, likely mistaking him for a priest. The perpetrator then unsuccessfully attempted to break down the door of a third church. He walked through the city, brandishing the machete and inciting terror, until the authorities apprehended him.
The jihadist crossed the Strait of Gibraltar on a jet ski in 2019. At the time of the incident, he was residing in Spain illegally and had been issued a deportation order, which had yet to be carried out.
Two hours before the attack, an FBI tip-off led the Spanish police to arrest another Moroccan jihadist in Gerona. He had been plotting to attack tourists in the Spanish town of Benidorm and attempted to buy an AK-47 and explosive belts on the internet.