Madrid bomb 'mastermind' held

2004-06-08 16:29

Rome - Italian anti-terrorist police claimed on Tuesday to have netted one of the masterminds of the March 11 Madrid bombings as part of an investigation involving police in at least two other European countries.

Italy's interior ministry said the man was among three arrested in police raids in Milan overnight, involving the searches of at least five homes.

In Madrid, counter-terrorism officials identified the main suspect as Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed, adding he was "one of the masterminds, one of the organisers of the attacks".

Italy's interior minister Giuseppe Pisanu congratulated the police and, without naming Ahmed, said the key suspect was "preparing other attacks".

"One of the three arrested in Italy, a character of notable ideological and operational importance, is probably one of the principal authors of the Madrid bombings and was preparing other attacks," said Pisanu.

'Further developments' expected

The minister described the operation as being "of very great importance, which for the moment has blocked a dangerous terrorist group gavitating towards al-Qaeda".

Pisanu added that there were likely to be "further developments" in the operation, but did not elaborate.

Prosecutors in Belgium, where anti-terrorist police were cooperating in the Italian investigation, were due to hold a press conference during the afternoon.

The Italian minister said the results of the police operation "encourages the government to maintain at a high level its confrontation against every form of terrorism".

"In fact, only through the more-energetic mobilisation and powerful international co-operation can we confront the insidious and ferocious threat of Islamic terrorism".

In a congratulatory message to Pisanu, Italy's President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi described the arrests as "a brilliant and important operation against international terrorism".

Italy has been on alert for attacks by Islamic extremists since the March 11 train bombings in Madrid, which killed 191 people in the worst terror attack in Europe since the 1988 bombing of an airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland.

Seven others blew themselves up

In Belgium, the federal prosecution service declined to confirm reports that police there had also arrested a terrorist suspect as part of the same operation.

A Tunisian national, Serhane Ben Abdelmajid Fakhet, believed to be the leader and co-ordinator of the train bombings, as well as six other Islamists blew themselves up in a Madrid suburb after they had been tracked down by the police.

Italy's Corriere della Sera said investigating magistrates authorised the capture of Ahmed, known as "Mohammed the Egyptian", on Monday after weeks of police surveillance.

One of the other two suspects arrested was the person who rented the Milan apartment in which Ahmed was living.

- AFP