Rome - Italian police said on Thursday that they had busted an Islamist terror cell in the centre of Venice overnight. According to a statement by police, Venice anti-mafia and anti-terror units worked in "close liaison" with Italian police and Carabinieri in the operation, and moved in after "blanket" surveillance of the alleged cell. All arrested are originally from Kosovo and resident in Italy. Twelve raids were carried out: 10 in Venice's historic centre, one in nearby Mestre and one in Treviso to the north, police said. The operation succeeded in "reconstructing the relationship dynamics and the religious radicalisation of the various individuals as well as the places they frequented," police said. Central terror prevention staff, Carabinieri sniffer-dog units, bomb squads and forensics police also took part in the operation, Italian ANSA news agency reported. Italy has upped security against jihadi cells following the Westminster attack in which a lone wolf killed four people. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro complimented police on a "brilliant operation that has smashed an extremely dangerous groups".
