Netherlands, Spain, Germany Arrest Terror Suspects
VOA News
24 Apr 2002 18:14 UTC
Police in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany have arrested at least 17 terror suspects in separate sweeps conducted over a two-day period. Dutch authorities Wednesday detained four Algerians suspected of membership in an Islamic extremist organization called the Salafist Group for Call and Combat.
Prosecutors in Rotterdam said that five other men suspected of links to the terror group were also arrested but later released.
Meanwhile, Spain's Interior Ministry has announced that another suspected al-Qaida financier has been detained, one day after the arrest of Muhammed Galeb Kalaje Zouaydi who authorities believe used business profits to finance al-Qaida operations.
Authorities have named the suspect, Ghasoub al-Abrash al-Ghalyoun, as an associate of Mr. Zouaydi.
German police Tuesday netted 11 suspected Palestinian militants, said to belong to the fundamentalist al-Tawhid movement. Authorities believe the militants have been plotting attacks and providing logistical support for Afghan fighters.
The arrests, which took place in 19 German cities, came as one of five Algerian terror suspects on trial in Frankfurt admitted his group planned a terror attack in France last year.
Aeurobui Beandali told the German court his group targeted a Strasbourg synagogue for destruction, and that he received training at a terrorist camp in Afghanistan.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
