Spanish Terror Sting Foils Planned Attack

An Islamic militant cell broken up over the weekend in Barcelona was planning a suicide attack on the city's public transport network, a Spanish judge said Wednesday as he ordered 10 suspects jailed pending further investigation and freed two others.

Judge Ismael Moreno, of the National Court, made the announcement after questioning the 12 suspects for seven hours.

He said the attacks had been planned for last weekend. Fourteen suspects were arrested Saturday although two were released by Spanish authorities on Tuesday.

The judge said that of the 10 people he is ordering kept in custody, three were planning to stage a suicide attack. The role of the others was not clear.

Spanish authorities have said of the original 14, 12 were Pakistanis and two Indians but it was not known Wednesday night which four have been released nor the nationality of those sent to jail.

The judge identified the three alleged suicide bombers as Mohamed Shoaib, Mehmooh Khalib and Imran Cheema. He said they had arrived in Barcelona from Pakistan some time between October and mid-January. The judge said it was common for suicide attackers to arrive at their targeted site shortly before a planned attack.

The government has said that police seized bomb-making materials and timers in raids on five homes Saturday and that the attack was in an advanced stage of preparation.

Moreno did not specify what part of Barcelona's public transport network was being targeted.

Europe's worst Islamic-linked terror attack took place in Madrid on March 11, 2004, when bombs went off in four trains, killing 191 people and injuring more than 1,800. Late last year 21 of 28 suspects who went on trial were convicted of terrorism and other charges in connection with the bombings.