Thread by @antoguerrera

Yesterday a big anti-terrorism operation took place in #Italy. Several suspect terrorists allegedly linked to ISIS have been detained or are wanted. They’re connected to Anis Amri, the perpetrator of 2016 Berlin terrorist attack, were allegedly planning to attack Italy 👉🏻THREAD

1. Everything started with the arrest on Wednesday of Elmahdi Halili, 23 years old, a guy born in Italy of Moroccan origin and living near Turin. He had been already arrested a few years ago for terrorist propaganda, he is the writer of the 1st Italian known ISIS manifesto
#italy

2. This time something was different though. Halili seemed to have upgraded his terrorist linked activity: in fact he allegedly turned into a jihadist recruiter, according to prosecutors, “raising” a dozen of potential terrorists to prepare a terrorist attack, likely in #Italy

3. Meanwhile, along with the alarming return of foreign fighters, the online #ISIS/jihadist propaganda against #Italy and especially #Rome has remarkably increased in the last months, as @fabiotonacci reported yesterday in @repubblica (my paper)

4. According to prosecutors, Halili in the last years became more and more reclusive, spending much time in Internet and explicitly called for (sometimes detailed) terrorist attacks in his online propaganda.
#Isis
#Italy

5. But yesterday was a even more important day for anti-terrorism. Five suspected terrorists were arrested and another dozen are wanted or under investigation. Based in Latina, near Rome, this cell was allegedly recruiting terrorists and forging documents for jihadists
#ISIS

6. There are two most alarming aspects of those arrests, apart from the increasing ISIS-linked online propaganda. The alleged terrorist cell was connected with Anis Amri, the perpetrator of Berlin attack. Amri joins the cell hideout in Latina in 2015 after 4 years in jail
#Italy

7. As @carlobonini and @fabiotonacci report in today’s @repubblica, it was Montassar Yakoubi, a Tunisian guy arrived in Italy together with Amri on a migrants boat 2011,that introduced Amri to the Latina cell “tunisian pals” to get forged documents after getting a expulsion order

8. But first let’s go briefly backwards. Both Amri and Yakoubi got arrested after the Lampedusa immigration center revolt in 2011. After 4 years in Italy jails, however, something changed. Yakoubi became “just” a petty criminal and drug dealer, Amri radicalised himself instead.

9. While being interrogated last july, Yakoubi told prosecutors that Amri and the other cell members were allegedly talking about a terrorist attack in Rome, maybe performed at Laurentina station, the last stop of the B line subway
#italy
#isis

rep.repubblica.it/pwa/generale/2…

10. Yakoubi said to Italy investigators that, along with Amri, several members - then arrested or wanted yesterday - were involved in planning the Rome terrorist attack. They allegedly followed ISIS spokesperson Al Adnani’s calls to attack “infidels”

rep.repubblica.it/pwa/generale/2…

11. Yakoubi however doesn’t know why their terrorist attack plans in Rome never (fortunately) became reality. Amri and other two “Tunisian bros” (their identity hasn’t been revealed) moved instead to France and Germany, where Amri perpetrated an attack. Why? This is still unknown

12. However, this brings up another issue. Has #Italy, after being spared by ISIS related attacks so far, now become a target of jihadi terrorism? And if so, why it happened?

13. There are a few theories on the reasons of ISIS “clemency” in #Italy:
- Excellent intelligence after mafia and 70’s anti-terrorism experience
- No “Islamic ghettos” which jihadists can infiltrate
- Italy is a crossing point for jihadists in Europe, so “better keep it calm”

14. However, there are some hints (nothing certain, let’s be clear) that something might change, after the latest arrests. As I said earlier the ISIS/Jihadist propaganda against Italy, Vatican and Rome is increasing online. But there is more.

15. After ISIS humiliating defeats in Middle East, many foreign fighters are coming “back home”. This time it’s possible that they might attack more randomly than before, so the “crossing point” Italy might not be so safe like before. We’ll see, these are just speculations so far

16. This thread on this latest big anti-terrorism operation in #Italy and the alleged ISIS plan of attacking Rome ends here. Thanks a lot for your attention and patience, keep posted with the latest news and insights from #Italy.
Cc @rcallimachi @abususu @SimNasr @einfal