Two Indians, 12 Pakistanis in alleged Spain terror plot, Delhi seeks details from Madrid

The Spanish government said two Indians along with 12 Pakistanis had been arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack in Barcelona. Their identities were not revealed.

An AP report said the 14 suspected Islamic militants had been transferred to Madrid for questioning at the National Court.

Investigators were sifting through evidence uncovered during the arrests, triggered by reports from European intelligence agencies, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

The suspects were detained in the port city’s Raval neighbourhood, home to many Arabic-speaking and Muslim immigrants. Police made the arrests as they searched five houses, seizing three bags containing timers and substances that could have been used to make bombs.

Explosives experts were trying to determine if some of it was triacetone triperoxide or TATP, an unstable explosive compound used in the 2005 London transit bombings.

After the Barcelona arrests, Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the suspects appeared to be part of a well-organised Islamic militant group. The El Pais newspaper noted that the discovery of the alleged plot coincided with a visit to Europe by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf though he is not scheduled to visit Spain.

In New Delhi, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, referring to the arrests, said the development raises “questions on how we can cooperate internationally” in the fight against terrorism.

“What I would like to see is greater contact between our two countries in winning the battle of hearts and minds, isolating extremist ideologues who try to poison the minds of young people and the views they have,” Brown said.