Nearly two-thirds of ISIS-linked arrests in Europe in the last nine months have been of teenagers, according to a landmark academic study, as concern grows among European security officials ahead of the Paris Olympics of the growing potency and reach in the West of the Islamist militant group and its affiliate ISIS-K.

The apparent uptick in the recruitment of young radicals to carry out acts of terror comes as European security officials express worries at a potential resurgence of organized – or “directed” – terror attacks. The Summer Olympics in Paris, which start on Friday, have been specifically threatened by ISIS-K, the Islamic State in Khorasan, an active ISIS affiliate stemming from Central Asia. The group has built a remarkable presence in Turkey over the past three years, according to court documents and analysts. In 2023 alone, 426 ISIS-K suspects were detained in 122 operations, according to Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency.

A UK security source said the so-called “directed terror threat” had become a greater concern over the past 18 months, with ISIS-K the most potent group under scrutiny. Young people accessing extremist spaces and media online also continues to be a significant issue, the source said.

“Groups like (ISIS-K are) specifically targeting young teenagers,” Neumann said. “They may not be very useful. They may mess up. They may change their mind,” he said, but they are “not least less suspicious. Who would think of a 13-year-old as a terrorist? One is enough.”

Neumann added that teenagers were being recruited through social media platforms like TikTok, dragged through algorithms into “bubbles” online where jihadist recruiters can reach them.

“(ISIS-K) is by far the most ambitious and aggressive part of ISIS right now,” he said, adding this meant the group could plan larger, more complex plots with several attackers, at the same time as doing “lots of people fishing for people on the internet.”

A TikTok spokesman said: “We stand firmly against violent extremism and remove 98% of content found to break our rules on promoting terrorism before it is reported to us.”

Of the 27 plots or attacks examined by Neumann, two have conspicuously involved teenagers targeting this summer’s Olympic Games.

In late May, French prosecutors indicted an 18-year-old man of Chechen origin for “terrorist criminal association,” namely targeting spectators in the city of Saint-Étienne during the Olympics, according to a statement from Lise Jaulin, a spokeswoman for French anti-terror prosecutors. About a fortnight earlier, two men, aged 15 and 18, were arrested in northeast and southern France for plotting a terror attack, the target unclear, the statement said. In April, it added, a 16-year-old from the Haute-Savoie department in southeastern France was arrested for allegedly researching how to make an explosives belt and die as an ISIS martyr, possibly targeting the Olympics, according to the statement.

German police have also publicized two incidents allegedly involving four teenagers. Officials in Dusseldorf said in April they arrested three teenagers, a 15-year-old boy and girl, and a 16 year-old girl, accused of planning a terror attack.

Another alleged plot involving a possible knife attack on a Heidelberg synagogue, which was disrupted in May, involved an 18-year-old man, a German prosecutor’s statement said.

Swiss police in March arrested a 15-year-old Swiss boy and a 16-year-old Italian boy for ISIS support and plotting bomb attacks, according to a police statement.

And in May, a 14-year-old girl from Montenegro was arrested for plotting an attack in Austria, which was allegedly ISIS-inspired, with a knife and axe already purchased.

While these alleged plots involving teenagers do not appear to involve ISIS-K specifically, the spread of the newer ISIS affiliate presents a simultaneous and novel challenge for Western intelligence agencies. ISIS-K recruits predominantly stem not from the Arabic-speaking world, but from Central Asia, and include Russian-speaking Tajik citizens.

Bordering Afghanistan, where ISIS-K first emerged, Tajikistan has long struggled with a mix of poverty, intense political repression by its government, backed by Moscow, and a broad spectrum of Islamism from across the fervently religious region. Analysts say the Tajik minority in Afghanistan is also less represented by the Pashto Taliban government, adding to the anger at discrimination felt by Tajiks across the former Soviet Union.

The ISIS-K threat has also moved swiftly closer to Europe, as a wide wave of arrests in Turkey has exposed. An 87-page indictment, relating to the detention of 18 ISIS-K suspects, many of them Tajik, for an alleged terror conspiracy involving training, support and an attack on the Swedish consulate in Istanbul, gives a rare window into the “black box” of ISIS-K plotting. It reveals how a shadowy figure, known to the detainees as “Rustam,” directs plots in the West – and training for them – from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

The indictment says: “Rustam/Rüstem (K) is the Tajik who is the current head of the ISKP Foreign Operations unit.” The indictment quotes one suspect saying Rustam used multiple, changing handles on the Telegram messaging app. “Generally, Rustam deletes the telegram every 15-20 days as a precaution,” the detainee said. “After I deleted it, he would contact me with another username.” Several of the detainees refer to Rustam as an external operations and explosives director for ISIS-K. Last week, 13 of the accused in this case were sentenced for between six to 10 years for involvement in the plot, while another three were set free.

The indictment, first reported in Turkish media, also describes, through the testimony of detainees, how a conveyor belt of ISIS-K recruits moves through an array of hotels in Istanbul. Some then go via Iran to receive training in Afghanistan. Others travel freely back and forth to Russia, where ISIS-K killed 137 people in a horrific attack on the Crocus City Hall in Moscow in March.

The extent of ISIS-K’s use of Turkey as a transit hub is acknowledged by officials in the Turkish indictment. “Central Asian Foreign Terrorist fighters could use the Turkey-Iran route in 2023, this could lead not only to prestige loss for our country but also, there is the threat that these elements could look to carry out a large scale (blockbuster/mega) action in our country,” the indictment says.

ISIS-K attacked a Catholic church in Istanbul in January, killing one, the first major assault in Turkey since 2017, after a hiatus which analysts suggested was used to regroup after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021 and the fall of the so-called ISIS caliphate in Syria and Iraq. A decade ago, Turkey was criticized by some analysts for its apparently lax attitude towards extremist Islamists using its border area with Syria and Iraq.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has had a busy week in which two devastating conflicts have loomed large.

Wang started by gathering 14 Palestinian factions for reconciliation talks in Beijing, including bitter rivals Hamas and Fatah, before meeting on Wednesday with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba – the first time China has hosted a top Ukrainian official since Russia’s invasion nearly two and half years ago.

The juxtaposed diplomacy – where talks were closely linked to the grinding wars in Gaza and Ukraine, respectively – came as Beijing vies to present itself as a geopolitical heavyweight in a world increasingly divided by both conflicts.

In a meeting with Kuleba, Wang said Beijing “supported all efforts that contribute to peace” – marking China’s latest effort to position itself as a “neutral” peace broker in the conflict, even as it has ratcheted up ties with Russia.

And at the conclusion of talks between the Palestinian factions a day earlier, the foreign minister hailed the signing of a declaration on “ending division.” The agreement, viewed with a measure of skepticism in the Middle East where such deals have quickly collapsed before, was a “historical moment in the Palestinian liberation cause,” Wang said.

For the Chinese government, experts say, Wang’s week of diplomacy offered a chance to play up desired optics: framing the country as a productive player in intractable conflicts – and an alternative broker to the United States.

China’s ambition is to be “recognized and accepted as a – if not the – global leader, and it seeks to do so by enlisting the support of the Global South, which is more numerous in both population and country terms than the democratic West,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London.

But it also signals some of the limits within which Beijing is operating, experts suggest, as it seeks to build a solution in Gaza without having deep influence in the region and calls for peace in Ukraine while keeping tight ties with Russia.

Kuleba’s visit was the first time in the nearly 29 months of Russia’s war on Ukraine that a high-level Ukrainian official has visited China. In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited twice and Kremlin officials have made numerous trips during the same period.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders have previously expressed hope that China could use its close relationship with Russia to push for peace on terms acceptable to Kyiv, which unequivocally calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and a return to its internationally recognized borders. But Chinese officials have given no public indication of doing so and have instead pushed for any peace efforts to consider “all countries’” security concerns.

Kuleba’s visit comes as Beijing is under increasing pressure from the West over its ties to Russia and allegations it’s aiding Moscow’s war effort by providing dual-use goods. Beijing denies this and says the West is fueling the conflict by supplying arms for Ukraine’s defense.

Western rhetoric is also hardening. NATO leaders earlier this month said Beijing was “decisively” enabling Russia’s war by support for its defense industrial base, and Zelensky last month accused China of prolonging – through its “support to Russia” – the war devastating his country.

That may be a topic of conversation later this week when Wang is expected to speak with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in another engagement during a regional meeting in Laos.

‘Not yet ready’

Kuleba arrived in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Tuesday saying that there would be “extensive, detailed, substantive” negotiations focused on “one issue – peace in Ukraine.”

“We will talk, we will be looking for common ground. We need to avoid competition between peace plans,” he said in a social media video post, in an apparent reference to the vast distance between Beijing’s proposed “political settlement” for the war and Ukraine’s own peace formula.

Official statements from Beijing and Kyiv after Wednesday’s Wang-Kuleba talks gave no indication that the Ukrainian diplomat had swayed Beijing toward Kyiv’s vision for peace.

Instead, Wang re-emphasized Beijing’s past statements and its call for a “political settlement.” China last year released its view on such a settlement, which backs a ceasefire without stipulating the prior withdrawal of Russian troops, a position criticized as favorable to Moscow’s illegal territorial gains. Neither side mentioned the provision of material or economic support to Russia in official statements.

Wang did appear to leave a door open for Ukraine to rely on China as a broker, saying, according to Beijing’s Foreign Ministry, that “although the conditions and timing are not yet ready,” China was “willing to continue to play a constructive role in ceasefire and resumption of peace talks.”

Kuleba, for his part, reiterated the country’s position of being ready for peace talks “when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith,” according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, but highlighted that Kyiv sees no such readiness from Moscow.

Observers say Beijing could, at some point, play a role in any potential future talks, but is unlikely to shift its relationship with Russia.

Xi is widely seen to view China’s northern neighbor as a critical partner in pushing back against a world order he sees as unfairly dominated by the West – and does not want Russia to suffer a damaging defeat.

Chinese leaders may have decided to meet Kuleba now to show they’re trying to “push for peace” amid Western criticism of Beijing’s Russia ties and because of the impending election in the United States, according to Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.

Kyiv is casting a wary eye on those elections that could see a plunge in American support for Ukraine’s defense if Republican candidate Donald Trump wins. Trump’s running mate JD Vance has openly advocated for ending military aid to Ukraine in favor of bolstering Taiwan’s defenses.

“Perhaps Beijing is reading this and feels that they are in a better position to push Kyiv towards a compromise that Moscow might find more amenable,” Chong said.

China’s state-linked news outlet Global Times also highlighted expert commentary suggesting Ukraine may realize that “efforts to completely isolate” Russia internationally have failed, as players like India and Brazil – both key Global South nations – have not supported a communique following a Ukraine-backed peace summit in June, which did not include Russia. Beijing has said such conferences should include both Kyiv and Moscow.

‘Reconciliation’ deal

Beijing’s efforts to be a platform for Palestinian reconciliation, meanwhile, come as it has presented itself as a leader for voices across the Global South in calling for Palestinian statehood and decrying Israel’s war and its staggering humanitarian cost, while criticizing US backing of Israel.

Wang said that Tuesday’s reconciliation talks between Palestinian factions ended with an agreement “on post-Gaza war governance and the establishment of a provisional national reconciliation government.”

The announcement comes as the future governance of Palestinian territories remains in question following Israel’s repeated vow to eradicate Hamas – and a growing push for Palestinian statehood. But it was met with some skepticism from observers in the region given the failure of past attempts at unity.

A US State Department spokesperson questioned whether the deal would “in any way have an impact on the ongoing discussions to reach a ceasefire” in the war in Gaza, adding it ran counter to Washington’s position, which is that militant group Hamas should not have a role in the governance of “a unified Gaza and the West Bank” after the war.

Within the region, there is also a sense that some of Beijing’s broader diplomacy around the conflict may be “missing out on the intricacies” of different viewpoints there, while seeking to win backing for its own international agenda, according to Jonathan Fulton, a nonresident senior fellow for the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs.

“Of course there’s frustration with the West and in particular with the US, but at the same time nobody’s looking at China and saying, ‘well, this is the country that’s going to come and solve it,’ because they see it as very self-interested actor with a pretty shallow level of regional knowledge and expertise,” he said.

A British policeman has been removed from frontline duty after multiple videos emerged on social media showing officers beating at least three people inside Manchester Airport in an incident the city’s own force has labeled “truly shocking.”

The viral videos, in which one officer could be seen stomping on a man’s head, are the latest to spark a public and political argument in Britain over whether violence used by police was proportionate or justified.

Greater Manchester Police said the footage on social media showed a confrontation that began after three officers were injured in a “violent assault,” including one female officer who suffered a broken nose.

But the force added that the event seen in the videos was “truly shocking” and an “unusual occurrence,” adding it had voluntarily referred its response to Britain’s independent police watchdog.

The videos began circulating Wednesday, quickly going viral on social media and sparking an outcry from both the public and some politicians.

One video shows a man on the ground with at least two police officers pointing a taser at him. A male police officer moves closer to the man and starts kicking him in the face, while his taser is still drawn, before stomping on his head.

Later in the same video, another man, whose hands were in the air while sitting nearby, is taken to the ground after a police officer points a taser at him. After the second man kneels on the ground, one officer starts kicking him before another wrestles him to the ground and appears to try to constrain his hands behind his back.

The video appears to show the attacks taking place on the ground level of the airport outside of several elevators.

Another video shows a man in a gray T-shirt being confronted, pepper-sprayed in the face, and brought to the ground by a police officer who wrapped his arm around the man’s neck as he wrestled him down.

The condition of the men following the confrontation is unclear.

‘Disturbing footage’

In its statement released on X, Greater Manchester Police outlined what it said were the events that led up to the videos.

Police said they were called to Terminal 2 of the airport on Tuesday evening following reports of an assault.

When police confronted the male suspect, three officers were injured in a “violent assault, where they were punched to the ground,” with one female officer ending up with a broken nose, the force said.

Four men have been arrested for assaulting an emergency worker, the statement added.

“We know that a film of an incident at Manchester Airport that is circulating widely shows an event that is truly shocking, and that people are rightly extremely concerned about,” Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry said in the statement.

“The use of such force in an arrest is an unusual occurrence and one that we understand creates alarm.”

A male officer has been “removed from operational duties,” Chaudhry added, and Greater Manchester Police have also asked for a review by the Independent Office of Police Conduct.

Protesters gathered outside the force’s divisional headquarters in the town of Rochdale on Wednesday, PA media reported.

Multiple British politicians condemned the assaults shown in the videos. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, called the videos “disturbing” in a post on X.

Paul Waugh, the local MP for Rochdale, said in a post on X he is “extremely concerned” by the “appalling” footage from Manchester Airport, noting he has expressed his concerns to police.

The man who was arrested is a Rochdale resident, Waugh said, adding in a later post that he has spoken to the man’s family and will meet them Friday.

UK Home Office Minister Diana Johnson said on X that she was “aware of the disturbing footage” and “understand(s) the public concern it has prompted.”

But not all lawmakers condemned the police actions.

Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK and one of five recently elected MPs for the right-wing populist party, said in a television interview that seeing the video was “not distressing” but rather “reassuring” that police officers were responding to a “serious issue” if they were using such force.