Poland charges teen with preparing attack on a school

Poland has charged an 18-year-old man with preparing an attack on a school and being motivated by his support for Islamic State, special services spokesperson Jacek Dobrzynski said on Wednesday.

Poland has not suffered any attacks related to Islamic State but Polish authorities are on the alert following a rise in sabotage attempts, including on the railway, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"The Prosecutor's Office charges the man with publicly inciting violence and hatred on the grounds of national and religious differences via the internet, as well as preparations for an attack at the turn of 2024/2025," Dobrzynski wrote on X.

He said an investigation found the man had been "collecting information on weapons, explosives, incendiary and toxic substances, bomb designs, methods of operation and equipping, as well as methods of creating, placing and detonating explosive charges, and techniques for carrying out attacks." Dobrzynski said the man's notes showed he had been planning an attack on a school in the southeastern Podkarpackie region.

If the man is found guilty, he faces up to 18 years in prison, Dobrzynski said. He did not say how the accused had responded to the charges.

In December, Poland detained a 19-year-old student suspected of trying to establish contacts with Islamic State and charged with preparing an attack at a Christmas market that could have caused mass casualties.

After emerging in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State quickly created a "caliphate" and at the height of its power from 2014-2017 it held swathes of the two countries, ruling over millions of people.

Last June, Poland charged three 19-year-old men suspected of gathering pyrotechnic materials and planning terrorist actions.

Local media said they had been planning an attack on a school in the northern city of Olsztyn.