14 Arrested During Raids In Barcelona, Suspected Of Terrorism

Buy an ad on DigitalJournal.com

All of the arrests took place in Barcelona and there are more arrests expected to take place. The police had help with unidentified foreign intelligence agencies. They raided several apartments, a mosque and a prayer hall to obtain the suspects.

Along with the arrest were the discovery of materials used in making explosives. Timing devices were also found during the raids. The detainees are members all “belonged to a well-organized group that had gone a step beyond radicalization” according to Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, the interior minister.

Spain has a general election slated for March 9. Because of this the police are on alert for terror attacks by Islamist groups or the Basque militant group ETA. During the last election in March of 2004 191 were killed March 11, 2004 when an Islamist terror group attacked Madrid commuter trains. That attack was just three days prior to the election.

“When someone has timers in their home you have no option but to think violent acts are being planned,” he said. Photographs of material found in the raids included the timing devices, a small quantity of ball bearings, batteries and plastic cables.

A prominent Muslim representative in Barcelona said that the men arrested belonged to Tabligh Jamaat. The group is based in Pakistan and claims to be non-political.