Italy's anti-terror police have arrested a Somalian migrant who allegedly plotted to carry out a terrorist attack in Rome. The 22-year-old was held at a refugee reception centre in the town of Campomarino, central Italy, at the end of a two-month investigation. Prosecutors said they have clear evidence suggesting the man, described as an imam, planned to target the capital's main train station. He also allegedly attempted to recruit to jihad fellow asylum seekers housed at the recently-opened Happy Family centre, exploiting his role as religious leader within the small community. Detectives said that after the religious services he often intoned a prayer for the Islamic State (Isis) group and Daesh militants killed in fighting. Hidden cameras captured him praising IS (Daesh) as well as al-Qaeda and the Somalia-based al-Shabaab, and showing propaganda videos released by the jihadi groups to other guests of the reception centre. In a taped conversation, the suspect was heard exalting the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris. Envisaging a similar attack in Rome, he claimed to prefer a suicide bombing to a gun rampage. "We go to Rome and start from the train station," he was recorded as saying. "There is an easier way, get the equipment and blow ourselves up." Prosecutor Armando D'Alterio, who led the investigation, said the man was "mobilising" to follow through with his criminal intent but there was no evidence he was ready to execute it, as it appeared he hadn't yet acquired weapons or explosives.
Counter-terrorism police in Italy have arrested a Somalian migrant, who was allegedly planning a terrorist attack in the capital, Rome. The individual had been held at a refugee centre in central Italy. The police have strong evidence that the man used his role as a religious leader to try to recruit fellow asylum seekers for his plan to attack Rome’s main train station. Italian authorities are investigating whether there is any link between this case and other recent attacks on migrant centres across Europe. The police have said that the man was still at the ‘mobilisation’ part of his operations and had not yet acquired weapons or explosives.