Italian police arrest two suspects in Milan linked to IS
Italian authorities cracked down on suspected Islamic State (IS) affiliates, deploying an elite police squad to disrupt and arrest two individuals in Milan, the capital of the Lombardy region in northern Italy. The operation was led by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The suspects, both of Italian and Egyptian nationality, were charged with promoting, inciting, recruiting and funding the IS.
Antonio Tajani, the Foreign Affairs Minister, revealed that Italy’s alert level had been heightened. However, he denied that Italy was directly targeted at this time, despite ongoing counter-terrorism efforts. This incident followed a recent IS-claimed attack in Brussels, where two Swiss nationals were killed and one injured.
The assailant was eventually apprehended, but not before being wounded by Italian police and subsequently hospitalised in the intensive care unit.
In related news, The arrest comes amid a spate of IS-inspired incidents, including an attack on Swedish football fans in Tunisia and a shooting in Belgium, prompting authorities to raise their alert levels.
Belgian police arrested 45 year old Abdel Salam, a suspect in a violent shooting that resulted in the death of two Swedish football fans, with another critically injured. The arrest took place in Schaerbeek, near Brussels. After a meticulous search for the armed suspect, the Belgian authorities escalated their terrorism alert to the maximum level.
During the arrest, a shootout erupted with the suspect, who was later fatally wounded. The suspect donned a reflective orange jacket, initiated the attack and escaped on a scooter. Local media reveal that the suspect, Abdel Salam, was previously convicted in Tunisia for a criminal offence but showed no signs of potential terrorist activity.
Momentarily before the attack, a video on social media surfaced, in which the assailant claimed to be inspired by the Islamic State group.
Alexander De Croo, the Belgian Prime Minister, disclosed that the suspect was an illegal Tunisian immigrant living in Belgium. He described the act, which took place yesterday, as senselessly and impulsively executed.
The attacker targeted Swedish football fans ahead of the Belgium Vs Sweden 2024 Euro football match last night, Monday, October 16.
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