Two young men aged 19 and 24 were arrested on Tuesday in the Ain department near Lyon by investigators from the Directorate-General for Internal Security (DGSI). They are suspected of attempting to join a jihadist group in Syria. Following their interrogation, one of the two was remanded in custody, while the other was placed under judicial supervision.
The two suspects are said to have plotted to join the brigade of Omar Diaby, a francophone jihadist figure who has firmly established himself in north-west Syria. According to Le Parisien, they exchanged information with his son via encrypted messenger and planned a route via Turkey or Jordan. One of the two suspects, a Turkish national, forwarded pro-jihadist content in particular via Telegram. According to the counter-terrorism services, Omar Diaby’s brigade, also known as ‘Firqatul Guraba’, continues to attract French recruits.
The two young men were taken into police custody as part of a preliminary investigation launched by the national counter-terrorism prosecutor’s office for ‘criminal terrorist gang formation’ and brought before a counter-terrorism judge in Paris on Friday.