Italian, 22, arrested over planned attacks on Milan synagogue and mosque

Italian police arrested a 22-year-old Italian national in San Giuliano Milanese, near Milan, on suspicion of training for terrorism and planning attacks on a synagogue and an Islamic place of worship in the area, investigators said.

Special forces from the carabinieri's ROS unit detained the man under a warrant issued by an investigating judge in Milan, at the request of prosecutors, following an investigation that examined his electronic devices, Italian news agency Ansa reported.

Investigators said the suspect had scouted a synagogue in Milan and an Islamic place of worship in the surrounding area as targets. He had also acquired knowledge of how to build explosive devices and modify firearms, and had researched the use of chemical or biological substances, according to the investigation.

Investigators said evidence suggested the suspect was planning to act alone. Among material found during his arrest was a 12-page document resembling a will, which may have been intended for release after an attack. It reportedly included the lines: "It is time that someone did something... I feel like a soldier and I know that my war has already begun, even if I am still organising it."

Investigators said evidence pointed to the suspect belonging to a milieu of Holocaust deniers, people hostile to Islam and white supremacists. Material referencing Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011, was also found among his possessions, Serbian outlet Kurir reported, citing MilanoToday.

Investigators said the suspect had gone further than simply researching the subject, and had obtained chemical substances suitable for building explosive devices, according to Kurir's report.

The arrest came as Italy held a general strike on Friday, with Milan under heightened security ahead of planned marches by students and union members; police had deployed hundreds of officers in the city, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.