The warning raised security concerns about the potential existence of sympathizers of the armed group in Brazil, which was previously thought to be relatively free of Islamic extremism.
Pre-Olympic jitters had already risen after a French jihadist warned on Twitter after deadly attacks in France last November that Brazil was the "next target."
The Brazilian Intelligence Agency said in a statement Friday that it "confirms the existence of a group and its way of operating" online with jihadist messages.
It said the group was found on Telegram, an online messaging application.
"Content relating to extremist ideologies is translated to Portuguese and reproduced in that instant messaging application," the agency said.
The group was first detected by the SITE Intelligence Group, a non-government group that monitors extremist communications online.
SITE issued an alert saying that people linked to the Islamic State were thought to be spreading messages from the group in Portuguese.
Brazilian authorities are on high alert ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro from August 5 to 21.
They say more than 80,000 security personnel will police the Games. That is twice the number deployed at the last Olympics in London in 2012...
[AFP/i24news.tv]
18/6/16
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