海角大神

Spanish authorities have arrested three suspected Al Qaeda militants who were allegedly planning an attack in 鈥�Spain and/or other European countries鈥� and confiscated enough explosives 鈥渢o destroy a bus,鈥� Interior Minister Jorge Fern谩ndez D铆az said today in a press conference.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the most important international [operations] against Al Qaeda,鈥� Mr. Fern谩ndez D铆az said. 鈥淎ccording to the information from allied intelligence services that are helping in this operation, I can confirm that there are clear indications that these people were planning鈥� a terrorist attack, he said.

Western security officials have grown more concerned about the terrorist threat posed by so-called lone wolves 鈥� people who have sympathies with Al Qaeda but act alone or as a small cell, without direction from an organizational authority. Intelligence services suspect there are dozens of such militants in Europe. They are harder to trace or identify than organized groups, as they usually remain inoperative for years.

One Turkish man was detained yesterday in C谩diz in southern Spain, while two men from Russia 鈥� still to be identified 鈥� were detained hours earlier, 鈥減resumably on their way to France,鈥� when the passenger bus they were traveling on made a rest stop, Fern谩ndez D铆az said. One of them put up 鈥渃olossal鈥� resistance, using military training.

Spain has struggled against Al Qaeda-inspired terrorism for more than a decade. In 2004, an operationally independent cell with ideological ties to Al Qaeda killed 191 train commuters in Madrid. Since then, dozens of suspected militants, mostly tied to Al Qaeda-based terrorist groups in northern Africa, have been arrested, although most of their activity has concentrated on fundraising and recruiting.

鈥淲e face a global threat, in particular against the West. Spain doesn鈥檛 face a bigger or small threat than any other country,鈥� Fern谩ndez D铆az said.

Large amount of explosives

This is the first time suspects were caught with significant amount of explosives. Spanish authorities said that the three men were under surveillance for at least two months, and that officials decided to arrest them only once it was clear the men were planning to leave Spain.

鈥淭hese are extremely dangerous people. I can assure you one of them is very important within the international structure of Al Qaeda,鈥� Fern谩ndez D铆az said. 鈥淥ne of them has ample experience in making chemical explosives, rigging car bombs, handling poison, and has sniper training.鈥�

Authorities described the Turkish man in C谩diz as a 鈥渇acilitator.鈥� The explosives were found in his home. Police also found 鈥渄ocumentation鈥� to operate microlight airplanes and radio-controlled aircraft. One of the men, Fern谩ndez D铆az said, also had paragliding training.

In July, a statement posted in Spanish in jihadist forums in Yemen, allegedly by the military committee of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, called for volunteers to carry out terrorist attacks, preferably 鈥渓one wolves living among the enemy.鈥�

Europe has been rattled by such attacks this year. In March, 23-year-old Mohamed Merah killed three French soldiers and four Jews in Toulouse, France, including three children. He acted alone, although he claimed ties to Al Qaeda militants. He was also trained in Pakistan.

Dozens more 鈥渓one wolves鈥� have been arrested for years throughout Europe.