Italian police hold 26 al-Qaida suspects

Italian police found explosives, detonators and forged documents in a Naples apartment when they arrested 28 Pakistanis suspected of being members of al-Qaida.

They conducting a routine search for illegal immigrants yesterday when they found the group in possession of almost two pounds of dynamite and 165 feet of explosive fuse, said a police spokesman.

Police also found various types of detonators and maps of the city with what they called “sensitive targets” circled with a pen, the spokesman said.

The ANSA news agency said the maps had various targets identified including a Nato base, the US consulate in Naples and a US naval base at a nearby airport. Naples is the headquarters of Nato’s southern European command.

The Pakistanis have been charged with “associating to commit acts of international terrorism.”

In a statement, police said they believed the men, aged between 20 and 48, were members of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network.

Since the September 11 attacks, Italian police have arrested several dozen people suspected of alleged links with international terrorism.

Last week police near the northern city of Rovigo arrested five Moroccans found in possession of explosives and maps detailing central London.