Several of the 14 suspected terrorists, including two Indians, arrested in Spain were supporters of Lashkar-e-Toiba and the cell was planning to carry out suicide attacks in Barcelona on the orders of Al-Qaeda in Pakistan, a media report said today. The Spanish police on Monday sought more time from the National Court to question the suspects, that included 12 Pakistanis. Spanish law allows detention without charge for a maximum of 72 hours for terrorist offences and the deadline will end on Tuesday.
Citing unidentified sources probing the case, the daily El Periodico de Catalunya said those arrested had received orders to commit a terror strike in Barcelona during a meeting with senior Al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan’s troubled Waziristan region. “Several detainees were supporters of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani group accused of carrying out bombings in India,” the daily said, adding others were part of Takfir-wal-Hijra, an extremist splinter group of Egypt’s political movement Muslim Brotherhood.
| Takfiri represent a strain of Islamic logic that defines anyone who doesn't agree with them as an apostate. |
The arrival of the pointsman, who is among those arrested, was notified by the Pakistani secret services to their Spanish and French counterparts, it said.