Teh One Who Knocks
04-01-2017, 11:03 AM
By Heat Street Staff
http://i.imgur.com/kurwWM0h.jpg
Three men have been arrested in Italy over a suspected plot inspired by Muslim fundamentalists to blow up the Rialto Bridge (pictured) in Venice, one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
Italian authorities say they intercepted telephone conversations of the group, who are alleged supporters of Islamic State, discussing the potential terrorist attack. It’s been claimed their plot was motivated by last week’s atrocity on Westminster Bridge in Central London in which four people were murdered and about 40 injured.
The men arrested have been named as Fisnik Bekaj, 25; Dake Haziraj, 26; and Arjan Babaj, 28. All are believed to be Kosovan. They had been under police surveillance since last year after Bekaj returned from Syria, according to officers.
They were arrested when police raided properties near St Mark’s Square. Two of the men had been working as waiters in Venice and all were found to have watched jihadist propaganda online, learning how to kill with a knife or build bombs, police said. A minor was also held during the raid.
Officers stated that they recorded one of the men as saying: “You’ll go straight to paradise because of all the infidels in Venice. Put a bomb on the Rialto.”
Adelchi D’Ippolito, the lead investigator, claimed the men had pledged unconditional loyalty to Islamic State. “It wasn’t just theory and dogma. They really agreed with and appreciated the London attack,” he said.
In 2016 Italian authorities foiled an alleged Muslim plot to carry out a double attack in Rome on the Vatican and the Israeli Embassy.
http://i.imgur.com/kurwWM0h.jpg
Three men have been arrested in Italy over a suspected plot inspired by Muslim fundamentalists to blow up the Rialto Bridge (pictured) in Venice, one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
Italian authorities say they intercepted telephone conversations of the group, who are alleged supporters of Islamic State, discussing the potential terrorist attack. It’s been claimed their plot was motivated by last week’s atrocity on Westminster Bridge in Central London in which four people were murdered and about 40 injured.
The men arrested have been named as Fisnik Bekaj, 25; Dake Haziraj, 26; and Arjan Babaj, 28. All are believed to be Kosovan. They had been under police surveillance since last year after Bekaj returned from Syria, according to officers.
They were arrested when police raided properties near St Mark’s Square. Two of the men had been working as waiters in Venice and all were found to have watched jihadist propaganda online, learning how to kill with a knife or build bombs, police said. A minor was also held during the raid.
Officers stated that they recorded one of the men as saying: “You’ll go straight to paradise because of all the infidels in Venice. Put a bomb on the Rialto.”
Adelchi D’Ippolito, the lead investigator, claimed the men had pledged unconditional loyalty to Islamic State. “It wasn’t just theory and dogma. They really agreed with and appreciated the London attack,” he said.
In 2016 Italian authorities foiled an alleged Muslim plot to carry out a double attack in Rome on the Vatican and the Israeli Embassy.