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One of the two suspects in the attack at the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris was known to Italian police for his militant activities, Italian authorities said Friday.
Cherif Kouachi, 32, was known for being part of an illegal network in France that helped would-be Islamic fighters to travel to Iraq, Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said, while addressing the lower house of parliament on possible terrorism risks.
The suspect, who had been jailed in France in 2008 for his role in helping volunteers to fight for Al Qaeda in Iraq, had never set foot in Italy, said Alfano.
The minister announced Thursday Italy was on maximum alert after Paris shooting.
Before the parliament, he confirmed security measures had been immediately enhanced with special attention being paid to sensitive targets such as media organisations, public offices, transport hubs, and places of worship across the country.
"Attention is also being paid to some public figures who might be a terrorist target because of their political activities," Xinhua news agency quoted the minister as saying.
Among 53 foreign fighters known to Italian authorities for passing through the country on their way to or from combat zones, four are Italian nationals, Alfano said.
One man by the name of Giuliano Delnevo died in 2014 while fighting in Syria, and another young man is known as being currently "in another country". No further information was given about the other two.
Italy's cabinet already announced it would soon submit new security measures against foreign fighters aimed at tackling not only those willing to fight in war zones but also their recruiters.
Among the new measures, the government would propose to give police chiefs the power to strip suspected radical activists of their passport, and to enhance control on internet providers in order to monitor suspected activities more tightly.
"Suspected terrorists today are often 'home-made'. They become radicalised, they train, and plan their actions without visible links to structured organisations," Alfano told the lower house.
"This is a new form of threat, and requires new forms of prevention and response," said the minister.
The minister also confirmed there were no signs of specific terrorist threats against Italy. Yet, the country would remain a possible target.
Interior ministers from major European countries, the European Union counter-terrorism coordinator and representatives of the US attorney general will gather in Paris Sunday for a special security summit, Alfano announced.
