Italian police have arrested a 22-year-old man of Moroccan origin in the northern city of Reggio Emilia over allegations linked to terrorism and support for the Islamic State group.
Authorities said the suspect, who holds Italian nationality but comes from a Moroccan family, was detained after investigators uncovered what they described as plans to carry out a knife attack in downtown Reggio Emilia during crowded public events.
The arrest operation was carried out by Italy’s DIGOS special police units from Reggio Emilia and Bologna, under the supervision of anti-terror prosecutors.
Investigators said the operation began after security services received information suggesting the young man wanted to target civilians in the city center.
Police moved quickly because two major events were taking place that evening, including a basketball game attended by thousands of people and a music event in Piazza San Prospero.
Officers later tracked the suspect near Via Roma, close to the busy Via Emilia area.
According to investigators, the young man had already been on the radar of Italian and German authorities for several years.
Officials said he was first monitored in 2024 after being arrested in Germany, where he had been living with his family before being expelled earlier this year.
German authorities reportedly ordered his expulsion after classifying him as a potential social threat. He returned to Italy in January 2026.
Italian authorities said that after his return, local social services and mental health specialists in Reggio Emilia tried to place him in a support and rehabilitation program aimed at helping him reintegrate into society.
However, investigators claim the process was interrupted after new intelligence linked his phone number to online chats allegedly connected to extremist activity.
The investigation also found that the Moroccan-origin suspect had allegedly contacted an ISIS supporter through a messaging platform.
Prosecutors say the contact offered him training and financial support to carry out an attack either in Italy or abroad, and that the young man expressed support for ISIS several times during those exchanges.
Police seized his mobile phone during the arrest, and prosecutors charged him with recruitment for terrorism, including international terrorism.
Following a court hearing on Sunday morning, a judge ordered the suspect to remain in pre-trial detention at a prison in Reggio Emilia while investigations continue.
Italian authorities say the probe is still ongoing as investigators work to determine whether the suspect had wider connections or possible accomplices linked to extremist networks.
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