Italy: Police arrest suspected IS-linked man in Turin March 28

Event

Italian police announced on Wednesday, March 28, that they had arrested a naturalized Italian citizen of Moroccan origin in Turin with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS). An associated investigation has been opened into his suspected accomplices. Another man of Egyptian origin suspected of being an IS member and indoctrinating children with extremist rhetoric was arrested in Foggia on Tuesday, March 27. The arrests come amid a larger operation ongoing since Monday, March 26, to detain and deport people suspected of religious radicalization in the country, including in the cities of Milan, Modena, Bergamo, Naples, and Rome. Additional related security operations and arrests are possible in Italian cities in the coming days and weeks.

Context

Since 2015, Italy has deported some 264 suspected religious extremists. Italian Minister of the Interior Marco Minniti said in an interview published March 28 that the threat posed by IS sympathizers in Italy is the highest it has ever been, as former IS fighters are likely to return to Italy as the group has suffered major territorial losses in Iraq and Syria.

Advice

Individuals in Italy are advised to monitor developments to the situation, remain vigilant for potential militant activity, report all suspicious objects and behavior, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.