Italian police on Thursday arrested five people as part of what they said was a major operation against suspected supporters of Islamist terrorism around Rome, Reuters reports.
The swoop is the latest in a series of similar raids this month, coming as Italy steps up the number of foreigners it expels.
On Wednesday anti-terrorism police arrested an Italian citizen of Moroccan origin who they said was an Islamic State sympathizer planning a truck attack.
“A vast anti-terrorism operation” was being carried out by special investigation forces in Rome and the nearby town of Latina, police said in a statement on Thursday.
A police spokeswoman said five people had been arrested, but gave no further details.
Interior Minister Marco Minniti said on Wednesday the security threat to Italy from Islamic State supporters was higher than ever because more foreign fighters were attempting to return to Europe via Italy after the jihadist group suffered defeats in Syria and Iraq.
So far this year, 29 foreigners, mostly Muslims, have been expelled from Italy as suspected threats to national security.