More Madrid bomb suspects held

Waki is alleged to have links with suspects who blew themselves up

Spanish police have arrested two men suspected of having links to the group blamed for the Madrid train bombings.

The men, a Syrian and an Egyptian, were arrested in the Basque town Irun, near Spain's border with France.

Spain's Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso said the Syrian, 28-year-old Adman Waki, was "an important person" in the structure behind the bomb plot.

The pair are expected to appear before the judge leading the inquiry into the 11 March attacks, which killed 191.

Mr Alonso said Mr Waki had links with five of the seven suspected bombers who blew themselves up during a police raid on a flat in a suburb of Madrid in April.

Secret surveillance

Spain's El Pais newspaper reported that investigators believe Mr Waki may have used the same mobile phone as another key suspect.

He has been under secret police surveillance for several months, the paper says.

The second suspect was named as Ahmed Ibrahim Kassem, a 27-year-old Egyptian who also lives in the Basque region.

Mr Alonso gave no details of his alleged involvement in the Madrid attacks.

At least 17 other people have been charged in connection with the bombings but only one, a 16-year-old youth, has been sentenced.

Earlier this week Italy extradited to Spain Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed, known as "Mohammed the Egyptian", who is regarded as a key suspect in the plot.