French authorities have arrested a 20-year-old Afghan man accused of having links to an offshoot of the Islamic State group known as IS-K, officials confirmed on Saturday. The suspect, detained in the city of Lyon, was charged with participating in a criminal terrorist organization and financing a terrorist enterprise. Anti-terror prosecutors said he was placed in pre-trial detention after investigators uncovered evidence suggesting his involvement in extremist activities.
According to France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), the suspect is believed to have been in direct contact with members of IS-K, the Islamic State’s Khorasan branch. Investigators allege he helped translate and spread propaganda on behalf of the group while also sending funds to support its operations. Officials said the man’s activities were monitored for months before his arrest.
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IS-K, which operates primarily in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of Central Asia, has claimed responsibility for several major attacks, including the 2024 Moscow concert hall bombing that killed 150 people. French intelligence agencies have been on high alert since the attack, tracking possible IS-K recruitment or propaganda networks across Europe.
Local media reported that the Afghan suspect had been living in France for several years and was already under investigation for glorifying terrorism online. He was arrested by domestic intelligence officers while in an administrative detention centre in Lyon. Investigators discovered he was editing and sharing extremist material on TikTok and Snapchat, aiming to radicalize young audiences.
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France has faced repeated terrorist threats over the past decade, with several deadly attacks carried out by individuals inspired by Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. This latest arrest highlights the ongoing challenge facing French security agencies as extremist networks adapt their tactics, using social media platforms to recruit followers and spread propaganda across borders.