'Islamist funders' held in Europe

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Police in France, the Netherlands and Germany have arrested 10 people suspected of providing funding to Islamic extremists in Uzbekistan.

Eight arrests took place in France, one in the Netherlands and one in Germany.

In France, eight suspects of Turkish origin were held in the eastern city of Mulhouse and in central Rhone region.

Investigators suspect those detained collected funds for an unnamed militant group in Uzbekistan, said to have close ties to al-Qaeda.

French officials said a 35-year-old of foreign nationality was detained in Weil am Rhein in south-west Germany.

In the Netherlands, a 48-year-old Turk was detained in the southern town of Tilburg, officials said.

'Pre-emptive' measure

French authorities are reportedly applying to have both suspects extradited to France.

A statement said French police and intelligence services had been investigating the detainees for close to a year.

A source told AFP news agency anti-terrorism units had moved in as a "pre-emptive" measure and that none of the suspects had committed attacks.

US-ally Uzbekistan has in the past been accused of serious human rights abuses in clamping down on dissent.

But the Uzbek government has blamed any unrest in the former Soviet republic on radical Islamic groups.