Italy deports suspected Tunisian extremist

Rome  :  Italian authorities have expelled an 18-year-old alleged Tunisian would-be jihadist who wanted to carry out a suicide attack, proselytised on the Internet and networked with other suspected extremists, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

Y.M., a resident of the northeast city of Treviso, was deported on Monday "for reasons of state security" as he tried to re-enter Italy after one of his frequent visits to Tunisia, according to the statement.

Italian intelligence services began probing Y.M. after they intercepted Facebook posts in which he "expressed ideological support for Jihad and glorified 'mujahadeen' who had died in combat, as well as anti-semitism", said the statement.

Y.M. also posted that he wanted to "sacrifice himself in the name of God and the Jerusalem Mosque" and prayed that Allah would allow him to wage jihad, the statement said, citing investigators.

The Tunisian was also "close to other Islamic extremist suspects who were under investigation," the statement said.

Y.M. was the 39th Islamic terror suspect to be deported this year and the 402nd since 2015, according to the statement.

The tally of suspected Islamic extremists expelled from Italy rose from 66 in 2015 and in 2016 to 105 in 2017 and 126 in 2018, the statement noted.