Spanish police yesterday arrested 13 men accused of harbouring Islamic extremists, including suspects in the 2004 Madrid bombings, and helping them flee abroad.

Police made the arrests in four towns near Barcelona. Raids also occurred in Madrid and Algeciras. At least eight detainees are Moroccan.

The arrests stemmed from a 2005 operation in which Spain broke up a cell that allegedly recruited people to stage suicide attacks against US-led forces in Iraq and other targets set by al Qaeda.

The 13 are suspected of sheltering extremists, including at least five suspects in the train bombings that killed 191 people on March 11, 2004, and helping them to escape.

Muslim militants claimed responsibility for the Madrid attack, saying they had acted on behalf of al Qaeda to avenge the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq. However, authorities have found no evidence that al Qaeda ordered or financed the attacks.

One of the fugitives, Moroccan Mohamed Afalah, is believed to have died in a suicide attack in Iraq in 2005. Another fugitive, Daoud Ouhnane of Algeria, reportedly died in Iraq fighting coalition forces.-AP