Italian authorities in Milan say the detained two people early today (Thursday) as part of an investigation into an Islamic cell with suspected links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network.
A spokeswoman for Milan's police says a third person has already been detained. She said the three are suspected of criminal association with the purpose of possessing explosives and dangerous chemicals and producing false documents.
The three men are nationals of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Police say they are also looking for a fourth suspect, who is believed to have left Italy.
Police say they have detained more than a dozen people in the Milan area as part of an investigation into Osama bin Laden's network.
U-S officials say a Milan Islamic center has been a base of al-Qaida terrorist operations in Europe.