Italian authorities have arrested three Algerian men suspected of links to an Algerian militant group that has allied itself with Osama bin Laden.
The three were detained in Naples and Brescia on Tuesday night and yesterday on suspicion of association with the aim of international terrorism - a charge introduced in Italy after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Investigators believe the three were preparing to attack, and were not merely in Italy to provide logistical support such as false documents, which has been a common accusation against terrorism suspects in Italy.
Reports identified the three as Yamine Bouhrama, Khaled Serai and Mohamed Larbi.
The Ansa news agency said they had links to the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, a militant Algerian movement that has declared allegiance to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network.
Ansa said Bouhrama and Serai had lived in Norway with false documents obtained in France.
AP