North Macedonia announced on Tuesday the dismantling of a terrorist cell linked to ISIS in the capital, Skopje, confiscating machine guns and arresting five people, including the suspected leader of the group.
The police said in a statement that on Monday, in cooperation with the National Security Service, they raided dozens of sites in Skopje, and confiscated several weapons, including a sniper rifle, ammunition, and an ISIS flag.
According to the police, among those arrested was a 34-year-old man, who they said was a “member” of the organization and had been active in the country since 2023.
She added that he "worked to indoctrinate young men into the organization's ideas to serve its goals, published propaganda materials containing extremist and radical content, and acquired and dealt with firearms."
The authorities arrested four other people during the operation.
The Public Prosecution confirmed that the 34-year-old man was charged with “terrorism.” He and two other people were also charged with charges related to illegal arms trafficking.
The National Security Service said that some of those arrested had “close connections to foreign terrorist fighters” in different regions of the world.
The police explained that the raids were linked to a trial currently underway in North Macedonia, and were based on “evidence obtained through international legal cooperation,” without revealing further details.
During the past two years, the authorities in North Macedonia have arrested more than ten people on suspicion of links to ISIS.
Partly violent protests against poor conditions in French schools have expanded across the country, and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told BFMTV on Tuesday evening that 440 people had been arrested, most of them on suspicion of sabotage or attacks on security forces.
Nunez said the numbers are still preliminary. According to the Ministry of Culture, 338 institutions were affected by the siege or protests during the day, according to the German News Agency.
At midday, access to 40 secondary schools remained completely closed, while protesters at 44 other schools were trying to impose blockades, the ministry said.
The protests resulted in the arrest of 40 people and the injury of 10 others, including students and teachers. The USL High School Students Union estimated the number of besieged schools at 400.
Protests targeting lack of funding, inadequate teachers and dilapidated school buildings began in high schools in the greater Paris region on Friday.
On Monday, dozens of people were injured and at least 164 people were arrested during protests in schools in several French cities. While the government condemned the violence by protesters, unions warned against the use of police against what they described as legitimate protests by young people.
Tuesday was also a national strike day for the public sector in France. The strike revolves around the cuts expected in next year's draft budget that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will present on Thursday.
Billions of euros are needed to be saved, as France's national debt has risen to a record high.
The centrist bloc led by President Emmanuel Macron lacks a majority. As was the case last year, Lecornu plans to reach out to the Socialists in an attempt to reach a compromise. With next year's presidential election approaching, no drastic cuts are expected.
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On Tuesday, uncertainty loomed over the British investigation into a plot to bomb an air base used by American forces, after police confirmed that no explosives were found in vehicles seized near the base. The anti-terrorism police said in the latest statement regarding the investigation into the plot to bomb the Fairford base of the Royal Air Force in southwest England: “We confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found, but a quantity of gasoline was seized,” according to Agence France-Presse. This comes after the British authorities' release on bail of 5 citizens who were arrested on suspicion of planning to target the Fairford base sparked sharp criticism from Washington.
On Sunday, three white minivans were found near the base, while the police arrested the five men, who are Britons in their mid-twenties, all residing in London. On Tuesday, armed police officers were seen patrolling the vicinity of the air base used by American planes to bomb targets in Iran.
Earlier, the police confirmed that its officers conducted an extensive examination of the vehicles with the help of military means and forensic experts, but it did not reveal the results of the examination directly. Before the police statement, The Times newspaper and other British media reported that the police had not found any traces of explosives. This eased fears that an attack might be thwarted, but left many questions unanswered. Patricia, 60, a resident of the nearby village of Kempsford, told Agence France-Presse: “It is very embarrassing that people around the world thought it was a terrorist attack, only for it to turn out in the end that this was not the case, and that it was just useless noise.”
On Monday, the head of the British police's anti-terrorism unit, Lawrence Taylor, announced the release of the five suspects, stressing that they "are definitely still under investigation." For its part, the Iranian embassy in London announced that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” speculation about Tehran’s involvement in the case.
“Dangerous situation”
US President Donald Trump increased the mystery surrounding the case, as he expressed to reporters, on Monday, his “surprise” at the British police’s decision to release the five men, adding: “If I were in their place, I would not do that.” In response to a question about the possibility of Iran’s involvement, Trump said, “It is possible,” without adding further details. Hours later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the incident as a “very dangerous situation.” He said on Fox News: “It is clear that a foreign party is involved” in the case, refusing to provide any additional details or clarifications. In March, Britain allowed the United States to use the Fairford base to carry out “specific defensive operations against Iran,” with the aim of destroying Iranian missiles at their launch sites. Since then, other American bombers and aircraft have been seen taking off and landing at the base, which is the only base on the British mainland used by American forces for this purpose. In July, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned that any base used to launch attacks on Iran would be considered a “legitimate target.”
The mystery surrounding the weekend incident has given rise to various unverified hypotheses, with some media outlets reporting allegations that the five men may have been fuel thieves. A resident of the neighboring village of Kempsford told Agence France-Presse, while she was working in her garden: “It is a bit strange that they are here in the middle of the night.” She added, requesting that her name not be revealed: “If they were really terrorists, the authorities would not have released them.”
Aerial footage of the three trucks that raised suspicions showed that they contained what appeared to be barrels, while at least one of them bore a fake logo and phone number, suggesting that it belonged to a real diesel fuel delivery company. In a statement published on its website, the company in question, Fuel2U, denied any connection to the vehicle or the people involved in the accident. She said, “The vehicle and the people involved have absolutely no relationship with the Fuel2U company,” confirming its cooperation with the police. London had previously accused Iran and Russia of using intermediaries to carry out criminal activities on British soil.
