Group ‘plotted to blow up Rialto Bridge’
Print Edition
THREE men from Kosovo and an unidentified minor have been arrested in Venice on suspicion of plotting to blow up the celebrated Rialto Bridge.
“With all the unbelievers there are in Venice, you put a bomb under the Rialto and you go straight to heaven,” one of the alleged jihadist plotters said in a wiretapped conversation, according to Adelchi d’Ippolito, the Venice prosecutor in charge of the case. He revealed that the group had been under surveillance since last year.
The suspects were detained in an overnight sweep carried out after it was established that they had undergone “religious radicalization,” according to a police statement.
Raids were conducted at 12 locations in the historic center of the city, which is a magnet for millions of visitors from around the world.
D’Ippolito said the suspects appeared to have been studying how to build explosives but did not have the necessary components for making a bomb. They were also envisioning moving on to “planning and projects.”
Interior Minister Marco Minniti praised the police for what he called “an important success in our terrorism prevention effort.”
The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges that span Venice’s Grand Canal, first built at the end of the 12th century.
The current bridge, an arched stone construction which dates from the late 16th century, is one of the best-known landmarks in the floating city and its walkways are frequently packed with tourists.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
