LONDON // British police on Tuesday named the third man who carried out a terror attack in London as 22-year-old Youssef Zaghba, an Italian national of Moroccan origin, confirming a report in Italian media.
Police said Zaghba was “not a police or MI5 subject of interest” after Italian reports said Italian intelligence had notified British and Moroccan secret services about his status as a potential extremist.
Italy’s main newspapers named the suspect as Zaghba, the son of an Italian mother, from Bologna, and a Moroccan father, who had passports from both countries.
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 ISIL militants fighting in Syria.
Police reportedly found ISIL propoganda videos on his mobile 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.
A London police spokesman said: “We haven’t released anything at the moment, nor are we confirming anything but as soon as we are ready to name him, it will be on our website. We’re hoping to get that out soon.”
* Agence France-Presse
