Spanish police arrest suspected ISIL collaborators

At least 10 people suspected of having links to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) were arrested in northeastern Spain on Wednesday, local authorities said.

A statement issued by the Catalan regional police said some 360 Mossos d'Esquadra officers took part in 13 raids that netted arrests in five cities, including Barcelona. The operation was coordinated by the National Court in Madrid.

While The Associated Press reported that 10 suspects had been arrested, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that 11 people were detained. Al Jazeera was not immediately able to verify the number of arrests with Barcelona police. 

The suspects are between the ages of 17 and 45, according to El Pais, citing police sources. Five of the suspects are Spanish nationals and five are Moroccan, the newspaper reported.

Spain has arrested dozens of suspected ISIL collaborators and recruiters in recent years, and El Pais described Catalonia as a hub of suspected ISIL-linked activity.

Last week, police in Catalonia arrested four members of a family, including 16-year-old twin boys, who were allegedly planning to travel to Syria to become ISIL fighters.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press