Spain Arrests Two Terror Suspects with 'Similar Profile' to Boston Bombers

[Sun Wukong]

Spain Arrests Two Terror Suspects with 'Similar Profile' to Boston Bombers

Spanish ministry says Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb terrorists have similar profile to Boston bombers

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April 23, 2013 10:32 AM GMT

French nationals Philippe Verdon and Serge Lazarevic, who are being held hostage by Al Qaeda (Reuters)

Spanish authorities have arrested two North African suspected terrorists believed to be connected to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim), according to the country's interior ministry.

Algerian-born Nou Mediouni was arrested in Zaragoza while the other suspect, a Moroccan named Haszsan el-Jaaouani, was arrested in Murcia.

They have "a similar profile to the two suspects who carried out the Boston attacks", the ministry said.

Al-Qaida's North Africa branch changed its leadership on March after Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, Aqim commander, was killed in fighting in northern Mali. Algerian Djamel Okacha, 34, very close to Aqim's leader, Abdelmalek Droukdel, was named as his replacement.

Al-Qaida commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who was believed to be the mastermind behind a January attack on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria which killed more than 60 people, was confirmed dead by an Algerian security source.