Italy: Police arrest six Moroccan 'jihadists' in north

Brescia, 25 Feb. (AKI) - Police on Friday in northern Italy arrested six Moroccan immigrants suspected of membership of an Islamist group aimed at 'holy war' against Christians and Jews. One of the suspects was detained in prison while the other five were held under house arrest, police said. All six live in the area around the city of Brescia in the Lombardy region, where they were arrested.

The suspects allegedly belong to Adl Wal Ihsan ('Justice and Charity') a highly secretive group. Its alleged members used psychological and physical violence to teach their children to hate western culture and customs as well as all religions other than Islam, according to investigators.

Adl Wal Ihsan was founded in 1973 by Moroccan fundamentalist Abdessalam Yassine Yassin and proselytises in Morocco's universities. In recent years it has also targeted Moroccan immigrants living in Europe and North Africa. Although Yassin has Republican sympathies, his movement is tolerated in Morocco, a monarchy, but police have stepped up surveillance of the group.


Read the whole story on: AKI