Italy arrests 2 people in counter-terrorism operation

MILAN — Italian authorities carried out a counter-terrorism operation early on Tuesday (Oct 17) that led to the arrest of an Egyptian citizen and an Italian citizen of Egyptian origin, police said in a statement.

The operation was coordinated by the Milan Prosecutor's Office and the two suspects have been accused of inciting terror offences and being members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

The two suspects were active in propaganda activities, were trying to recruit potential affiliates online and were financing support initiatives for IS, the prosecutor's office said.

"This morning two people were arrested on charges of terrorism," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told RAI-Radio Anch'io.

He added that the alert level had already been raised and authorities were working to prevent potential threats.

Asked if the country could expect terror attacks such as the one that struck Belgium late on Monday, Tajani said there were no specific threats towards Italy at the moment.

Two Swedish nationals were shot dead and a third person was wounded in central Brussels on Monday night by a man who identified himself as a member of IS and claimed responsibility in a video posted online.

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