EINDHOVEN - Three men from Arnhem and Eindhoven were arrested Tuesday in connection with terrorism. The National Prosecutor's Office (OM) reports that one of the suspects is a 26-year-old returned Syrian from Arnhem, allegedly linked to Jabhat al-Nusra, an organization affiliated with al-Qaeda.

The two others are men aged 26 and 30. Justice suspects one of them of financially supporting jihad fighters in Syria. The three men are suspected of being involved in preparing terrorist crimes and seeking to join Jabhat al-Nusra. The investigation has been ongoing since the summer and began in response to information from the AIVD.
On Oct. 30, searches were conducted in nine homes in Arnhem, Doesburg, Rotterdam and Eindhoven as part of this investigation. At that time, according to the prosecution, there was no reason to arrest individuals. During those actions, computers, tablets, data carriers and cell phones were seized. This included the passports of six men.

The investigations into this also focus on participation in the terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra. This movement is an armed group linked to al-Qaeda, and the organization is active in the Syrian civil war. Jabhat al-Nusra, like Islamic State (IS), wants to establish a caliphate. According to the intelligence and security service AIVD, a total of about 160 people had traveled from the Netherlands to Syria or Iraq early this month to participate in the violent jihad.