The Girona and Algeciras Cases: A Closer Look at Two Jihadist Plots
Two years were spent preparing for violence in Spain, while one of the suspects acted within a month. One operated from Girona, another from Algeciras. Some worked alone, others with partners. Although they did not know each other, the last two jihadists detained by the National Police share a disturbing fixation with homosexuals and LGTBI groups.
The pair carried out a killing in Algeciras and were suspected of planning further attacks in Catalonia or Benidorm. They openly expressed a hatred for homosexuals as symbols of a society they deemed sinful. This theme emerged from messages and phone records obtained by CASO ABIERTO, the investigation and events channel of Prensa Ibérica. One chilling message from Yassine Kanjaa, the man linked to the Algeciras priest attack, read, I hope the worm gets in your guts. He also stated, Everyone who lives here, many nations.
Kanjaa reportedly became radicalized in a short period, beginning with listening to Qur’anic recitations. The religious text, viewed through the lens of his actions, was distorted to justify violence against those labeled as sinners. The same interpretation appears in other sacred texts, with Lot and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah cited as examples of divine punishment for homosexual behavior.
Death to the Christians
In Algeciras on January 25, Kanjaa killed a priest and wounded four others before his capture. A day later, Fath Allah Benhachem, a 27-year-old Moroccan-born Spanish national, was arrested in Girona. Investigative sources describe Benhachem as deeply obsessed with punishing certain groups, including homosexuals and LGTBI communities, and as someone who followed a path of violent intent.
The incident in Algeciras is part of a broader pattern noted by authorities. There have been past episodes where security services highlighted the targeting of homosexuals by jihadist cells, including a 2017 case linked to the attack in Las Ramblas, Barcelona. An official report noted that such targets aligned with the Islamic State’s published guidelines.
Historical examples continue to shape the dialogue around these threats. ISIS has carried out brutal acts against homosexuals in the region, and mass shootings in places associated with the LGTBI community have occurred elsewhere, including the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando in 2016. These events are cited in official assessments as part of a long-running pattern of violence tied to extremist ideologies.
Both detainees in Spain had no known contact with each other. Their shared trait is a disdain for Western society, which they labeled haram or impure because of tolerance toward homosexuality. Their backgrounds diverged: one was born in Morocco and later gained citizenship in Spain, while the other faced a different life trajectory. Both, however, represented a chilling example of how radicalization can unfold, especially when youths find a path that promises power and identity through violence.
The Girona Contingent: A Child Arrival, Then Radicalization
The Girona plotter arrived in Spain as a child and obtained citizenship. He lived with a stable partner, a woman from Eastern Europe who held a steady job. The relationship was scrutinized as investigators noted signs of coercive dynamics, described in some records as a toxic, gender-related violence pattern.
Over time, the individual held a varied employment history, including work with an airline. For more than two years, there was a marked shift toward radicalization, fueled by access to online material and a growing fixation on violent methods. Reports indicate a progression from everyday life to an intent to kill, aided by online content that detailed stabbing and other attack strategies, observed by officials hours before arrest.
The Benhachem Narrative and Obsessions
As authorities retraced Benhachem’s path, his fixation became evident. He imagined a scenario on Benidorm’s beaches and downloaded resources to construct weapons, including TATP explosives, at home. He also sought to influence others through propaganda and laid the groundwork for attacks that echoed earlier, infamous campaigns in Spain.
Kanjaa faced no prior notification of security concerns, and his life remained largely ordinary until a critical turn. Investigative sources describe a rapid shift toward a devout lifestyle, followed by a stark commitment to an extremist path. There was no single triggering event found in his personal history, but the pattern of online influences and a drift toward violence became clear to investigators.
Both men moved to act within a compressed timeframe. They executed drastic choices in the name of a creed and a cause they believed justified. The authorities describe their crime as a terrorist act, even as they investigated the full scope of their affiliations and the channels through which they received encouragement and praise for their actions.
Unraveling the Minds Behind the Acts
Despite the different trajectories, the two plots share an unsettling question: are these attackers mentally unstable or simply ruthlessly capable? Early assessments do not label either as mentally ill before their acts, though experts await comprehensive psychiatric evaluations to determine the precise state of their minds when they decided to commit violence.
Judicial authorities proceeded with caution, noting that the evidence pointed to acts of terrorism rather than random criminal behavior. The legal proceedings emphasize the calculated nature of the attacks, even as investigators continue to analyze the psychological dimensions of the cases. In official testimonies, one suspect spoke of a violent future and described the act as a form of rebellion against what he perceived as moral decay.
The ongoing investigation continues to piece together how these individuals influenced each other and the extent of their networks. Marked investigations reveal how online communities can foster a sense of belonging and purpose that culminates in violence.
These cases illustrate the challenge for security services when radicalization accelerates among young people. They also highlight the delicate balance between preventing violence and safeguarding civil liberties as communities respond to a threat that often originates in digital spaces. The dialogue surrounding these incidents remains active among policymakers, law enforcement, and researchers dedicated to understanding and countering extremism in modern society [Citation: Prensa Ibérica CASO ABIERTO].