German police target Islamists

Islamic radicals are being arrested in Germany:

German authorities say they have detained 22 suspected Islamic radicals in massive raids across the country.

More than 700 police officers swooped on addresses - including apartments and mosques - in five states, arresting 17 men and five women.

Some are alleged to be members of a radical Islamic network suspected of aiding terrorists through money laundering and falsifying documents.

The raids are the result of a long-term inquiry, the authorities said.

Germany has made fighting alleged Islamist terror cells a key security priority, says the BBC's Ray Furlong in Berlin.

He said the country was shocked to find that some of the suicide hijackers in the 11 September 2001 attacks were based in the northern city of Hamburg.