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Austrian Police Arrest 14 In Operation Against Suspected Islamic State Members


Prosecutors in Graz said about 800 police officers carried out the simultaneous early morning antiterrorist raids (file photo)
Prosecutors in Graz said about 800 police officers carried out the simultaneous early morning antiterrorist raids (file photo)

Austrian authorities say they've arrested 14 people in a series of antiterrorist raids in Vienna and Graz.

Prosecutors in Graz said about 800 police officers carried out the simultaneous early morning raids on January 26 as part of an "ongoing investigation into suspected membership" in the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Investigators said they did not think a terrorist attack was imminent.

Eight men were initially detained.

Aged between 21 and 49, they were identified as three Austrians of foreign descent, two citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina, a Syrian, a Bulgarian, and a Macedonian.

Three men and three women from the Balkans were arrested later in the day.

Prosecutors said two of the women are wives of the male suspects.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP

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