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Al Qaeda claims Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in latest video

Xinhua, January 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Islamist terrorist group Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) on Friday published a video insisting on recovering the Spanish North-African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

The 23-minute video is directed especially at inhabitants of Libya. It includes a speech by one of AQIM's commanders, Abu Obeida Youcef Annabi, over a photograph and the logo of Al Andalus, which was the name of the video's production company. Al Andalus is also the name Spain was given by its Moorish occupiers between the 8th and 15th centuries.

The reclamation of Spain for the Islamic faith has long been a stated aim of Al Qaeda, while in recent times Daesh (Islamic State) has also made reference to recovering the territory for Islam.

The video was detected by the company Asesoria de Inteligencia y Consultoria de Seguridad (AICS), a private company which describes itself as "the leader in private intelligence and security consulting in Spain, with an extensive network of partners worldwide."

AICS affirms it is a "call to the deepest sentiments of Muslims, mentioning Ceuta and Mellila and calling for both cities to be retaken."

In November 2015, a study published by the Elcano institute highlighted that 75.3 percent of those detained in Spain for links with radical Islam were born in either Ceuta and Melilla. Endit