'Terror' trial opens in Sarajevo

Bosnia has a small mine-clearing unit in Iraq

Three men have gone on trial in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, charged with plotting terrorist attacks.

Mirsad Bektasevic, Cesur Abdulkadir and Bajro Ikanovic were arrested in 2005.

Prosecutors say they planned an attack in Bosnia or another European nation to force the government involved to pull out troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Police say they found a large cache of explosives and firearms in raids on the suspects' apartments. The suspects are pleading not guilty to the charges.

The three men were arrested in October and December last year near Sarajevo, along with two other men who were later released on bail.

Police say they found 30kg (66lb) of explosives and a large number of firearms during the raids on the three apartments, along with what they describe as a suicide belt.

Police also say they discovered a videotape of two of the men asking God for forgiveness for the sacrifice they were about to make, along with pictures of them apparently preparing explosives.

Bosnia has a small number of mine-clearance soldiers in Iraq.

A number of other countries who are involved in Iraq or Afghanistan also have a significant diplomatic and military presence in Bosnia.

The main international military base in the country is at Butmir, about 100m metres from one of the houses where some of the arrests took place.