DAWN.COM

Today's Paper | June 16, 2024

Published 02 Apr, 2004 12:00am

Tunisian believed head of terror cell: Madrid blasts

MADRID, April 1: Spanish police regard Tunisian Sarhane Ben Abdelmajid Fakhet as the likely leader of the terrorist cell which killed 191 people in Madrid on March 11, police sources said on Thursday.

Spain published the photographs of Ben Abdelmajid and five Moroccans after issuing international arrest warrants for them on Wednesday. Police sources said "The Tunisian" appears to have spread extremist religious propaganda among other suspects and to have coordinated the Madrid train bombings. News reports said he has lived for years in Spain, where he studied and worked at a real estate company.

Press reports identified another leading member of the terrorist cell as Moroccan Jamal Ahmidan, who was jailed in Morocco several years ago for drug trafficking.

Ahmidan is believed to have rented a house southeast of Madrid where the terrorists assembled their bombs. ABC said he gave hashish to Spanish former miner Jose Emilio Suarez as part of the payment for explosives which were planted on four commuter trains on March 11.

Jamal Ahmidan is a relative of Hamid Ahmidan, in custody with 18 other suspects. Ben Abdelmajid, Jamal Ahmidan and four other Moroccans are being sought in Morocco, United Kingdom and Germany.

Other Moroccans were Agdennabi Kounjaa, Said Berraj and Rachid and Mohammed Oulad. The latter two are brothers of Naima Oulad, the only woman in custody. -dpa

Read Comments

Pakistan's T20 World Cup hopes washed out as rain cancels US, Ireland match Next Story