Spanish police have arrested eight men suspected of recruiting jihadists for Islamist group ISIL.

The men reportedly helped send militants to the Middle East where they would join the group.

The arrests were made in Madrid in an overnight operation during which police searched more than ten locations.

One of the arrestees, Lachen Ikasrrien, is said to be the main leader of the cell and had served time in Guantanamo, before moving to Spain after his release.

It is not clear whether the eight men were suspected of recruiting specifically for the current ISIL offensive in Iraq.

In March, police from Spain and Morocco broke up a similar cell which had been sending fighters to conflict zones such as Syria.

The arrests took place in the enclave of Melilla, one of two Spanish cities in mainland Africa that shares a border with Morocco.