U.S. and Europe hit ISIS propaganda channel in coordinated takedown

The voice of ISIS has been stifled, at least for now, according to international law enforcement.

European countries along with Canada and the U.S. carried out a coordinated takedown of Islamic State propaganda including its affiliated Amaq News Agency, according to agency Europol.

Amaq has been central to ISIS terrorist attacks in the West, where it was used to claim responsibility or declare that an attacker was a “soldier” for the terrorist group.

Europol recounted in a statement on Friday that there have been previous takedowns, but said that this week’s activity was “a simultaneous multinational takedown.”

Severs in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands were seized by investigators, and Europol said that those and additional data from France, Romania and Bulgaria “will help to identify the administrators behind IS media outlets and potentially radicalised individuals on European soil and beyond.”

The agency said that the takedown would hamper the propaganda efforts for an undetermined amount of time, and it was not immediately clear how ISIS sympathizers were functioning online after the effort.

Law enforcement agencies involved expect that the data retrieved as a result of the takedown will help to identify the administrators behind IS media outlets and potentially radicalised individuals on European soil and beyond.

Source: NYDN