Italy arrests 5 Tunisians in anti-terrorism swoop

Italian police on Thursday arrested five people as part of what they said was a major operation against suspected supporters of Islamist terrorism around Rome.

They were believed to have connections with the Tunisian ISIS militant who killed 12 people at a Berlin Christmas market in 2016. 

A number of raids were conducted across central and southern Italy on Thursday when the suspects were arrested. Warrants have been issued to a Palestinian nation after he was accused of training and conducting other activities for the purpose of international terrorism as well as four Tunisians suspected of falsifying documents and facilitating illegal immigration.

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However, the sources said there was no evidence the suspects participated directly in the Berlin truck attack or that they were preparing an imminent attack in Italy.

As part of their operation, police were carrying out searches in Rome, the southern port city of Naples and the central and southern towns of Latina, Viterbo, Caserta and Matera, the sources said.

As per reports, the suspects were traced by analyzing the mobile phone records of Anis Amri, the man who killed 12 people and wounded 56 when he drove a truck into a crowded market in the German capital on December 19th 2016. Four days later Italian police tracked him to Milan, where he was killed in a shootout. 

Thursday's arrests suggest that his network in Italy may have extended further. So far this year, 29 foreigners, mostly Muslims, have been expelled from Italy as suspected threats to national security.