Major terrorist attack foiled in the Netherlands

Dutch police arrested seven men suspected of plotting a major attack

Roll players of the Pretend Afgan National Police carry plastin Ak-47's at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisinana Tuesday April 9, 2009. The base, currently traing members of the 82nd Airborn for Afghanistan, also changes into Iraq to train troops for there.(Photo by Michael Stravato)
Powered by automated translation

Seven men were arrested on Thursday in the Netherlands on suspicion of plotting a large-scale extremist attack that Dutch prosecutors said they think was foiled following a months-long investigation.

The national prosecutor's office said in a statement that heavily armed police arrested the men in the towns of Arnhem, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Amsterdam, and Weert in the southern Netherlands close to the borders of Germany and Belgium.

The investigation was launched by intelligence suggesting the alleged ring leader, a 34-year-old man of Iraqi heritage, wanted to carry out an attack at the site of a large event and cause multiple casualties, according to the statement.

The suspects allegedly wanted to use bomb vests and assault rifles to do harm at the event, and planned to detonate a car bomb at another location, prosecutors said. An investigation of potential targets is continuing.

Prosecutors said the suspects ranged in age from 21 to 34. Three of them, including the 34-year-old Iraqi, were previously convicted of attempting to travel overseas to join extremist networks.

___________________

Read more: 

Iraqi-born kingpin jailed for human smuggling racket

Anti-government group claims deadly attack on military parade in Iran

___________________

The men were attempting to obtain AK47 assault rifles, handguns, bomb vests, grenades and raw materials for bombs and were looking for opportunities to train with such weapons, according to the statement.

Prosecutors said that the investigation sped up this month because of the suspects' "advanced preparations."

The men were to be brought before an investigating judge on Friday at a behind-closed-doors hearing.

The Dutch anti-terror coordinator's office said in a tweet that the alleged plot fit the current threat profile for the Netherlands, which is at four on a scale that tops out at five. The office did not raise the level following the arrests.

"Jihad networks are also active in the Netherlands with the intention to plot attacks in Europe," the office said. "Today's arrests must be seen in that light."