Bin Laden terror suspects held in Europe

As part of a European crackdown, police in Germany and Italy have arrested six people suspected of belonging to an Islamic terrorist group with ties to renegade Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden.

Five of the six suspects were arrested in Italy. They were believed to be part of the same group that had planned an attack on the US embassy in Rome in January.

The suspect arrested in Germany, believed to be an Algerian, was part of a group that allegedly planned a New Year’s Eve bombing in the French city of Strasbourg, prosecutors said.

Milan prosecutor Stefano Dambruoso said that the arrests were the result of ‘‘a valuable cooperation among international police forces,’’ which identified a European network of Islamic terrorism.

Dambruoso said that a Strasbourg square also appeared to be the target of the attack planned by those arrested in Italy.

Italian Interior Minister Enzo Bianco said the arrests ‘‘strike a strong blow’’ to Islamic terrorists, adding, ‘‘We are convinced of having defeated a mastermind of Islamic terrorism.’’