World Bulletin / News Desk

Police in Italy have arrested 18 suspects across seven provinces for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in Pakistan, an official statement said Friday.

According to the police statement, the suspects were allegedly part of an al Qaeda-affiliated network based in Sardegna Island’s Olbia city, who were dedicated to spearheading terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

Police did not release the identities or nationalities of all the suspects, except for the ring leader of the group, who was said to be a Pakistani house builder based in Italy.

The suspects were arrested in Cagliari, Macerata, Bergamo, Sassari, Roma, Foggia and Frosinone.

Italian police believe the suspects were involved in one of the deadliest bomb attacks in the Pakistani city of Peshawar that killed over 100 people, mostly women and children who had been out shopping at the Meena Bazaar on Oct. 28, 2009.

Police added that a number of other deadly attacks in Pakistan could be attributed to the group.

According to the statement, those arrested "were part of an organization dedicated to international criminal activities related to al Qaeda, furthering the armed conflict with the West and a revolt against the current government in Pakistan."

The group was allegedly attempting "to intimidate the local population (in Pakistan) to force the government to renounce its attacks on the Taliban militia and to cease to support the American forces in Afghanistan."

The group allegedly also aided illegal migrants from Pakistan to enter Italy and work with it.

The police is expected to give a press conference later Friday to provide more details.