Spanish police hold al-qaida suspects
Police have arrested two suspected members of al-Qaida’s North African branch in Spain, one of whom allegedly praised the Boston Marathon bombings, but neither of whom was known to possess any explosives or be planning any attack.
Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz told reporters there was “sufficient grounds” to warrant the arrests, adding that they were made to avoid “greater risks.” He said the two suspects – an Algerian and a Moroccan – were acting as “lone wolves.”
Madrid is to stage its marathon on Sunday. While no risk or threat had been detected, 1,100 police and security personnel would be on duty.