Italian Police Raids Target Suspected Suicide Bomber Recruiters

Source: Agence France-Presse

Italian police raids target suspected suicide bomber recruiters

ROME (AFP) - Police launched dawn raids in Milan on Tuesday targeting about 20 people suspected of recruiting suicide bombers for attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We can confirm that 20 arrests are currently being acted on," a police spokesman in Milan told AFP. Milan's anti-terrorist police would issue more details at a press conference at 11:00 am (1000 GMT), he added.

The anti-terrorist operation ordered by a Milan court was also under way in France, Britain and Portugal, according to the Italian all-news channel Sky-TG24.

The raids uncovered remote electronic detonators and poisons, as well as instructions on guerrilla warfare techniques, ANSA news agency said. Officers were searching for foreign nationals suspected of having formed "jihadist" cells, ANSA said, adding that the investigation had begun in 2004.

In Italy, searches were being carried out in northern Lombardy, Liguria and Emilia Romagna, Sky said. Although warrants had been issued for about 20 people, it was not clear how many had been arrested.

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