Two arrested over Fermo church attacks

(ANSA) - Ascoli Piceno, July 20 - Carabinieri police from the Marche city of Ascoli Piceno, in cooperation with the Carabinieri anti-terror ROS unit in Ancona, on Wednesday arrested two people suspected of attacks against four churches in the nearby town of Fermo between February and May this year.
    In February and March, two home-made devices exploded in front of the local Duomo and Saint Thomas Church.
    In the night between April 12 and 13, another device damaged the entrance of the Saint Mark Church, also in Fermo.
    The church's priest is Mons. Vinicio Albanesi, whose community Capodarco helps migrants. A fourth device, which did not explode, was placed in front of another church in the area, San Gabriele dell'Addolorata.
    Mons. Albanesi, who is also the president of the local chapter of Catholic charity Caritas, linked the attacks earlier this month in connection with the death of a 36-year-old Nigerian asylum seeker, Emmanuel Chidi Namdi, who was beaten to death by soccer ultra Amedeo Mancini in Fermo after he stepped in to defend his wife from an alleged racist attack.