Seventeen Algerians and Tunisians were arrested across Europe on Tuesday in an anti-terrorism operation led by Italian authorities, Italian police said.

The operation was ordered by Milan prosecutors and targeted the northern Italian cities of Milan, Bergamo, Varese and Reggio Emilia as well as Britain, France and Portugal.

Police said they had seized poisons, remote ignition devices for explosives and manuals on guerrilla warfare.

Police believe the detainees have been setting up “Salafist jihadi” militant cells which have recruited and assisted would-be suicide bombers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

(Source: Washington Post)