SI: A plot by a suspected terrorist cell to shoot down an Israeli airliner has been foiled by the Swiss authorities, it was announced on Thursday.

The Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s office said that seven people of North African origin were under arrest in connection with the plan.

Israeli media reported last month that the terrorist cell had planned a rocket attack on the El Al aeroplane in December 2005, during takeoff from Geneva airport. Flights were diverted to Zurich for a week.

The prosecutor’s office said that the arrests were made following raids on May 12 this year in Basel and Zurich.

“The inquiry… showed that this cell had seriously envisaged to commit an attack in our country against a plane belonging to the Israeli airline El Al,” said the office in a statement.

However, it said that contrary to reports the authorities had not confiscated weapons of the type RPG 7 or SAM 7, or any explosives in connection with the planned attack…..