Italian police arrest Kosovans suspected of plotting attacks
ROME (AP) — Italian police on Thursday arrested three Kosovans in the lagoon city of Venice after one was caught on a phone intercept proposing they bomb the famed Rialto bridge while others lauded the recent attack in London.
A minor was also detained. Venice prosecutor Adelchi d’Ippolito said a search of a Venice apartment showed the suspects were getting in physical shape and watching videos of Islamic extremists demonstrating how to carry out knife attacks.
A phone intercept allegedly caught one of the suspects saying: “You’ll go straight to paradise because of all the infidels in Venice. Put a bomb on the Rialto.”
It wasn’t clear if the reference was bluster or indicated an imminent threat. Regardless, police said the bridge never was at risk because it is under constant surveillance.
The 16th century Rialto bridge, one of Venice’s iconic tourist draws, spans the Grand Canal and features small shops on either side of its stone steps.
Authorities identified the suspects as Fisnik Bekaj, Dake Haziraj and Arjan Babaj.
They said the men talked about being ready to die for the jihadist cause and discussed being inspired by last week’s attack in London that killed four people.
D’Ippolito said the suspects were “truly dangerous” and were suspected of plotting attacks both in Italy and overseas.