Italian, Albanian cops crack IS recruitment ring

ROME — Italian police say they have dismantled a ring of Islamic extremists in Italy and Albania who recruited fighters for the Islamic State group.

Three people were arrested, police said in a statement Wednesday, including an Italian of Moroccan origin who purportedly authored an Italian-language IS propaganda booklet for potential Italian jihadis.

Police said two others arrested were Albanians: A man who was arrested in Albania and his nephew in Turin. Albanian police identified the uncle as 38-year-old Alban Elezi and said he was arrested in Kavaja, 55 kilometers (35 miles) west of Tirana.

Police said the group was in touch, via Facebook and telephone, with another Italian of Moroccan origin who is among the 65 "foreign fighters" that Italy has traced to Syria.