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Four arrested in Switzerland on suspicion of supporting terrorism

isis syria four arrested switzerland
Swiss federal prosecutors accuse the four individuals of supporting the Syrian Al-Qaeda offshoot, the Al-Nusra Front. Keystone / Uncredited

Authorities in cantons Vaud and Neuchâtel have arrested four individuals suspected of carrying out various support activities for a terrorist group.

Four Syrian nationals were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of supporting the Al-Nusra Front terrorism group.

Two of the four individuals resided in canton Vaud and two were located in asylum shelters in canton Vaud and Neuchâtel at the time of their arrest.

The four individuals, aged between 28 and 57, were arrested on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG). A further seven house searches were conducted during the raid.

The authorities had opened proceedings against the individuals between January and September 2022, under the suspicion of supporting or participating in a criminal organisation and for supporting banned Islamist terrorist groups. Specifically, federal prosecutors accuse them of supporting the Syrian Al-Qaeda offshoot, the Al-Nusra Front.

The OAG is in contact with several other countries in connection with the criminal proceedings against the four individuals.

The cantonal police have brought the individuals to the OAG for questioning, however no further information was provided for procedural reasons.

The Office of the Attorney General said in a statementExternal link that “as always, the presumption of innocence applies to all four suspects”.

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Masked Palestinian members of the "Ezz Al-Din Al Qassam" militia, the military wing of Hamas, hold their weapons and pose for the media during a march on the streets of Gaza City, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013. Arabic on headband reads, "No God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet, Ezz Al-Din Al Qassam brigade." (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

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