Italy arrests Madrid massacre mastermind

ITALIAN anti-terrorist police yesterday captured 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 suspects arrested in police raids in Milan overnight, which involved 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, asserted that 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," Mr Pisanu said in a statement.

The minister said the operation as "of very great importance, which for the moment has blocked a dangerous terrorist group gravitating towards al-Qaida".

Mr Pisanu added there were likely to be "further developments" in the operation, but did not elaborate. Prosecutors in Belgium, where anti-terrorist police were co-operating in the Italian investigation, were due to hold a press conference in the afternoon.

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

Italy has been on alert for attacks by Islamic extremists since the March 11 train bombings in Madrid, which killed 191 people. In Belgium, the federal prosecution service declined to confirm reports police had arrested a terrorist suspect as part of the same operation.

Spanish Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso said in Luxembourg yesterday there had also been several arrests in Belgium, and confirmed two arrests in Milan, including one person "closely connected" to the organisation of the Madrid attacks.

Mr Alonso, speaking at an EU interior ministers' meeting, said there had been "several people arrested in Belgium in relation to international terrorism".

Spanish judge Juan del Olmo, who is investigating the March 11 attacks, has issued an international arrest warrant against Ahmed, judicial officials said.

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 held was the person who rented the Milan flat in which Ahmed was living.