Italian security forces rounded up 11 members of the banned Moroccan Islamist Al Adl Wal Ihsane Movement (Justice and Charity) over international terrorism charges, local radio reported on Wednesday.
The Italian police have conducted home searches on Tuesday of 100 houses during a counter-terrorism operation mainly in the northern Italian regions of Frioul Venezia Giulia, Venizia, Emilia Romagna, Lombardia, and Marche, the report said.
The police said it also seized a number of computers, DVDs, video cassettes and manuscripts belonging to the supporter of the banned movement.
The Italian financial police services also had an investigation in the bank accounts of some 60 members of the movement to identify the financial resources of the group.
However, the unrecognized movement denied the arrests, saying the operation was just a routine search of the headquarters of some organizations supporting the movement.
Al Adl Wal Ihsane was created in 1973 by Abdessalam Yassine, a former Education Inspector but it is not legally recognized by Moroccan authorities.