Spanish police have arrested 10 people suspected of setting up a support network for an Islamic extremist group thought to be linked to al-Qaeda

BBC News:

The suspects were detained in and around the Spanish cities of Alicante, Murcia and Granada.

Spain's interior minister alleged that the cell "gave logistical support and finance" to the Algerian-based Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat.

He said they were not linked, at this stage, to the 2004 Madrid bombings.

Nor were they thought to be planning any sort of repeat of those attacks.

"There is nothing to suggest that the dismantled group was going to carry out an attack in the short or medium term," said Jose Antonio Alonso.

He said those arrested had links with Algerians in "several European countries" including Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Belgium and Denmark.

During the raids computer equipment, drugs and tens of thousands of euros were seized.

Mr Alonso said the suspects were accused of financing terrorist activities through petty crime, including drug trafficking and forging credit cards.

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