Two held over alleged terror attack plots in Italy and UK

The men, aged 23 and 29, allegedly helped to establish a five-man terror cell which was providing logistical support to Isis.

“They plaed to carry out terror attacks against govement and military targets, public institutions, inteational companies and civilian targets,” public prosecutors Giuseppe Drago and Roberto Rossi told La Repubblica.

“They had weapons as well as photo and video documentation which had been taken during preliminary surveys of potential targets.”

On a mobile phone belonging to one of the men, police found videos taken outside the Ipercoop supermarket in Bari's Santa Caterina district, as well as a number of photos taken at the city's port.

It was while taking this footage on December 19th that the men were reported to the police by conceed passersby.

Police also found the men to be in possession of extremist propaganda and their phones contained pictures of themselves posing with a rifle.

The 23-year-old had even taken a photo with the Bari mayor, Antonio Decaro, during a march to show solidarity with immigrant citizens last September.

The group was reportedly found be in possession of photos and videos of potential British targets, and its members allegedly travelled between Italy and the UK with low-cost airlines frequently.

In addition to plotting terror attacks, the cell was reportedly working to help illegally traffick migrants between Bari, Calais and Hungary.

Of the five-men, two are now in custody in Italy, two are thought to have left for Afghanistan, while the whereabouts of the remaining member are currently unknown.

On Sunday, a 26-year-old Slovenian man was arrested by police in Italy – accused with recruiting and radicalizing potential terrorists.

Italy's Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the arrests were “proof that [Italy's] system of prevention is working well."

In 2015, 259 people were arrested on terrorism charges across the country, 67 of which were expelled.

Italy's security level remains at level two, the highest possible in the absence of a direct attack.