Spanish police arrest three al-Qaeda suspects

By Ciaran Giles, Associated Press

Updated

MADRID – Spanish police say they have arrested three suspected members of al-Qaeda.

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  By Alberto Saiz, AP file photo

  Police detain a suspected radical Islamic militant in Mislata, near Valencia, Spain, Feb. 3, 2009.

By Alberto Saiz, AP file photo

Police detain a suspected radical Islamic militant in Mislata, near Valencia, Spain, Feb. 3, 2009.

A spokesman said the Russian, Chechen and Turk were taken into custody. He said further details would be provided by Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz later Thursday. He spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with police regulations.

Spanish news reports said the men had explosives and poison when they were detained La Linea, a town close to the disputed British colony of Gibraltar. It said they are believed to have been trained in Pakistan and practiced hang-gliding.

The police spokesman denied the three suspects had poison and said he knew nothing about explosives.

Spanish police have arrested dozens of al-Qaeda suspects since 2001.

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