An INTERPOL AI operation has identified 126 suspected foreign terrorist fighters after authorities analysed more than 108,000 facial images linked to online jihadist content. Nigeria was among 11 countries that took part in the international counter-terrorism exercise.
The operation, known as Operation Shams II, was coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and took place in Tunis, Tunisia, from June 1 to 5, 2026.
The five-day operation brought together 28 specialised officers and experts from participating countries. They worked on identifying suspected foreign terrorist fighters and gathering intelligence that could help authorities track terrorist networks operating across borders.
According to INTERPOL, the participating countries were Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Qatar, Tajikistan, Tunisia and Uzbekistan.
INTERPOL AI Operation Processes More Than 108,000 Images
During the exercise, law enforcement officers extracted 108,076 facial images from visual material published online by jihadist groups.
AI agents and specially developed scripts helped officers collect and process the images. The technology also helped identify duplicate images and assess their quality before further analysis.
The process reduced the original collection to 6,362 unique, high-quality facial images. Officers then submitted those images to INTERPOL’s Facial Recognition System for comparison with information already held in its databases.
INTERPOL said trained officers and analysts reviewed the results produced by the technology. The organisation’s facial recognition system uses automated comparisons to generate possible matches, but qualified personnel manually examine the results before INTERPOL accepts an identification.
The INTERPOL AI operation has so far identified 126 Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) from the images processed during the exercise.
INTERPOL said the matches could provide authorities with additional intelligence about the suspects, including possible locations and social networks. Authorities are also adding the information to INTERPOL databases to support efforts to detect and track suspected terrorist movements across countries.
Investigation Continues as More Images Await Processing
The identification of the 126 suspects is not the end of the operation. INTERPOL said officers still have thousands of additional images to process, which could produce further investigative leads.
Some information gathered during Operation Shams II has already supported judicial proceedings in participating countries. INTERPOL said one case involves two suspected foreign terrorist fighters currently held by authorities.
The operation also focused on possible sources of terrorist financing. Officers used cryptocurrency-tracing tools to examine suspected illicit funding flows. The work resulted in three urgent requests for customer information from a virtual asset service provider.
Beyond the investigation, participating countries met representatives from the online gaming industry to discuss the risk of youth radicalisation through digital platforms. The discussions focused on improving cooperation and information sharing between law enforcement agencies and the private sector.
INTERPOL said Operation Shams II was conducted under the CT TECH+ Project, which receives funding from the European Union and support from the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.
The organisation described the operation as an example of how international law enforcement cooperation and AI-assisted analysis can support efforts to identify suspected terrorists and disrupt their networks.
The operation also highlights the growing role of technology in helping international law enforcement agencies manage large volumes of digital evidence. Rather than requiring officers to manually examine every image individually, AI-assisted tools can help organise large collections, identify duplicate material and direct investigators towards images that may require closer examination. Human officers still play an important role by reviewing the results and determining whether a potential match provides sufficient grounds for further investigation.
The international cooperation involved in the operation is also significant because suspected foreign terrorist fighters can move between countries and maintain contacts across different jurisdictions. Sharing relevant intelligence through INTERPOL systems allows participating law enforcement agencies to compare information and potentially identify connections that may not be immediately visible to investigators working within a single country.
INTERPOL said the exercise provided participating officers with practical experience in using technological tools alongside established investigative methods. The organisation also stressed the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies, technology specialists and other relevant partners as authorities respond to evolving methods used by terrorist organisations to distribute propaganda, recruit supporters and maintain financial networks.
The remaining images will continue to undergo analysis as investigators work through the material collected during the operation. Further processing could therefore provide additional information that helps authorities identify other suspected foreign terrorist fighters or establish links between individuals already identified and wider networks operating across different countries.
