Prosecutors: suspects targeted Italian base with US prescence

Milan prosecutor Maurizio Romanelli said, however, that the sites in question “were never in danger” because the pair, based in Brescia in northern Italy, had not set their plans in motion.

“There was never any situation of danger relative to the targets”, Romanelli said.

They said the threats in the name of Islamic State carried on the Twitter account “Islamic State in Rom” featured images of the Roman Colosseum and Milan’s Duomo cathedral, with a warning that they were identifying targets and preparing to strike.

The men were named at the news conference as Briki Lassaad, born in Kairouan, Tunisia, and Waqas Muhammad, born in Gujarat. Italian police arrested two men on Wednesday suspected of supporting the Isis group and plotting to carrying out attacks in the country.

Prosecutors say the men, one Tunisian and the other Pakistani, were arranging to travel to Islamic State territory for military training.

Authorities said the men downloaded copies of “How to Survive in the West”, which includes information on how to make bombs and carry out terror attacks.

Both Ghedi and Aviano Air Base, also in northern Italy, are widely reported to have nuclear weapons, though the Pentagon refuses to confirm or deny that, the AP reported.