Al Qaeda members from central Asian ex-Soviet republics and Turkey arrested for "planning an attack in Spain, and or, other European countries".
MADRID (Reuters) - Three people linked to al Qaeda have been arrested in the south of Spain, one in possession of explosives they planned to use in attacks in either the Iberian country or other European nations, Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz said on Thursday.
He said police arrested on Wednesday two al Qaeda members from ex-Soviet republics close to Ciudad Real who were likely heading to France, and a Turkish man near Cadiz whose house was searched and where explosives were found.
The minister said one of the two arrested near Ciudad Real was a senior al Qaeda operative who had extensive experience in bomb-making.
"It is one of the most important operations against al Qaeda to date to be carried out on an international level," he said.
"There are clear indications that the suspects arrested could have been planning an attack in Spain, and or, other European countries," the minister told a news conference.
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