Italian, UK Police Quiz Suspects in Bomb Probe

ROME/LONDON - A prime suspect in the second wave of London bombings has told Italian detectives he took part in the attacks on the city's transport system as British police quizzed three other suspected bombers on Sunday.

A judicial source with direct contact to the man confirmed Italian media reports that Osman Hussain, arrested in Rome on Friday, has said that he participated in the July 21 failed attacks.

"Yes, yes. I can confirm that," the source told Reuters. He gave no further details.

Police arrested five further men and one women on Sunday in southern England under anti-terrorism laws in connection with the July 21 attempted bombings but a police source said the arrests were not a significant development in the inquiry.

That brings the total number of people being questioned by British investigators in relation to the probe, the biggest operation for London's police since World War II, to 17.

Hussain's court-appointed lawyer has suggested that the suspect, an Ethiopian-born British citizen, may try to resist extradition requested by British authorities.

British police believe they have captured all four men they were seeking over the July 21 botched bombings on three underground trains and a bus, which came exactly two weeks after four bombers killed themselves and 52 people in similar attacks.

After an international manhunt for suspected Islamist militants which culminated in a swoop on a housing estate in west London on Friday, three of the men are in custody in London and the fourth in Rome.

Fresh Attacks

Officers are still looking for anyone who may have helped the bombers and warn of new strikes.

"We are still searching for the people who put the jobs together," said a police spokeswoman.

"Friday was a great success but the threat remains real -- people still need to be vigilant," she added.

As Britons worry about a fresh attack on London, domestic media said the police and security forces were trying to track down any further cells and a possible command structure behind the bombers.

Security experts described al Qaeda's pyramid structure.

"If you see the two groups of bombers as two separate teams of foot soldiers on the very bottom, then there is a possibility they are linked by the command structure in the level above," a security source told The Observer.

"This is the level we are trying to identify and track down," the source was quoted as saying.

A Zambian intelligence source said in Lusaka on Saturday the authorities had signed a deportation order for suspected British militant Haroon Rashid Aswad, who would be handed over to Britain once formalities were completed.

British police say they would like to question him but say he is not a priority in the London bombings investigation.

In Italy, the latest high-profile arrest stemming from at least 15 raids linked to Hussain's contacts was a man named as Fati Issac who police said was the brother of Hussain, also known as Hamdi Adus Issac.

A police source told Reuters the brother is accused of "hiding or destroying" documents. Another brother was arrested in Rome on Friday for possession of false documents.