Italian anti-terrorism authorities say they've uncovered a cell that was spreading jihadist propaganda on the internet and recruiting fighters for the Islamic State in Syria.
A joint Italo-Albanian operation, called "Balkan Connection," led to the arrest of 20-year Elvis Elezi - an Albanian student living with his parents near Turin - and of his uncle Alban, who was caught in Albania. They allegedly worked on terrorist recruiting.
A third Italo-Moroccan suspect, Elmahdi Halili, was arrested on propaganda charges, and accused of translating into Italian and distributing on the internet a 64-page document glorifying the virtues of the Islamic State.
A judge also issued an arrest warrant for Anas el Abboubi, a Moroccan man who was arrested on terrorism charges in June 2013 and quickly released for lack of evidence, who is believed to have fled to Syria to join the Islamist cause.
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano hailed the arrests, noting that it was the first time that tighter anti-terrorism legislation that the government adopted in February was being applied.
Elvis Elezi's father, Idajet, swore on his son's innocence, suggesting that all he did was play around on the internet.
"My son is a very good lad, I can say it hand on heart. But if he turns out to be a terrorist, I will kill him with my own hands," the man was quoted as saying by Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper.
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