13 Moroccans held in Spain for terror links

Barcelona, Oct 16 (DPA) Spanish police Thursday detained at least 13 Moroccans on charges of links with Islamist terrorism, officials said in Barcelona.

The operation focussed on the northeastern region of Catalonia, where 13 people were detained in several locations, including Santa Colona de Gramanet near the regional capital Barcelona.

Other arrests were reported in Madrid and in Algeciras on the southern coast.

The detainees were suspected of belonging to a cell that backed Al Qaeda-linked terrorists, funding cells and possibly recruiting fighters to travel to Iraq.

They were believed to have helped to organise the hiding and escape of several suspects in the 2004 Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people.

In January, 14 suspects, mainly Pakistanis, were held in Barcelona on charges of planning attacks against the city's transport network.