Rome ? Authorities have arrested three Algerians believed to have links to an Algerian militant group that has allied itself with Osama bin Laden, police said Thursday.

Two of the suspects were arrested in Brescia, northern Italy, and one in Naples, an official from the Carabinieri paramilitary police in Naples said.

The three, arrested on Tuesday night and Wednesday, are suspected of links with the Algeria-based Salafist Group for Call and Combat, said the official, who said his name could not be used under Carabinieri practice.

They were detained on suspicion of association with the aim of international terrorism – a charge introduced in Italy after the 9-11 attacks, the official said.

He declined to give further details ahead of a judge’s decision on whether to uphold the arrests, expected later Thursday.

The three were suspected of preparing a terrorist attack outside Italy, an Italian government official said. The official, who declined to be named because the investigation was ongoing, denied media reports that the three were believed to be preparing an attack on Italian territory.