Terrorism suspects held in Spain

Police arrested 14 suspected Islamic militants early Saturday, amid fears that the men were plotting a terrorist attack in Barcelona, the interior minister said.

The suspects, 12 Pakistanis and two Indians, were arrested less than two months before national elections.

The country’s last vote in March 2004 was held just after the Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people and injured nearly 2,000 in Europe’s worst Islamic-linked terrorist attack.

There are fears that militants could launch a similar attack to disrupt this year’s vote, scheduled for March 9.

Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba gave no details on what sort of an attack allegedly was being plotted, but said authorities found four timers and other explosives-related material in some of the suspects’ homes.

“When someone has timers at home you have no option but to think violent acts are being planned,” he said, adding that more arrests were expected and the country was on high security alert.

The minister said the arrests, many of which reportedly took place in Barcelona’s Raval neighborhood, were prompted by information from several unspecified European intelligence agencies. Raval is home to one of Spain’s largest concentrations of Pakistani immigrants.