Italian police have launched a crackdown on suspected radical Islamic militants following last week's deadly attacks in London, police sources said today.
The details of the sweep, which is still underway, were not immediately available but sources said the nationwide blitz was primarily targeting people believed to be Islamic militants who are already under investigation.
The operation came a day after Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu warned that terrorism was "knocking on Italy's door" and urged parliament to strengthen security laws to help ensure the country did not become the next target.
Among his proposals, Pisanu called for beefed up controls at Italy's borders and an extension of the period a suspect can be detained for identification from 12 to 24 hours.
Bombings last Thursday of three underground stations and a bus in London killed at least 52 people and injured 700.
Britain and Spain, which have suffered major attacks, both supported the US-led war in Iraq, stirring fears that Italy and other US allies could be targeted too.
Wednesday's raids involve 200 search warrants, many of them based on suspicion of illegal possession of arms, according to AGI news agency.