File Photo. Chris J. Ratcliffe—AFP
Italian press names Youssef Zaghba, an Italian-Moroccan dual national, as third attacker
The third man suspected of carrying out Saturday’s deadly attack in central London was an Italian-Moroccan who was arrested last year on suspicion of trying to reach Syria.
Italy’s main newspapers named the suspect as Youssef Zaghba, 22, the son of an Italian mother from Bologna, and a Moroccan father, who had passports from both countries.
British police have confirmed the identity of two of the three attackers but had been retaining the name of the third while investigations into possible accomplices and contacts continued. The Italian reports said Zaghba was intercepted at Bologna airport last year as he was about to board a plane for Turkey, with the apparent intention of joining Islamic State militants fighting in Syria.
Police reportedly found I.S. propaganda videos on his cell phone but, after an investigation, failed to find sufficient evidence of links to terrorism to prosecute him and he was released.
According to the reports, Zaghba’s status as a potential militant was notified to the British and Moroccan secret services. British police confirmed Zaghba’s identity late on Tuesday. They said Zaghba was “not a police or MI5 subject of interest” despite the reports claiming Italian intelligence had notified British and Moroccan secret services about his status as a potential extremist.