ROME (AP) – Italy’s interior minister said Thursday that authorities have thwarted planned terrorist attacks against a church in Bologna and Milan’s subway.

“There was a terrorist (plot) that was to be carried out in our country and the monitoring and prevention action of our forces allowed us to thwart it,” Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu told news agency ANSA in quotes confirmed by his office.

Pisanu spoke at a political rally in Sardinia and said the plot involved seven people: three people had been expelled from Italy, two had been arrested, one was under surveillance and one was at large, ANSA reported, without saying when the operations took place.

Pisanu’s office did not immediately confirm the details on the alleged plotters.

The Bologna basilica that was among the planned targets contains a 15-century fresco Muslim groups have interpreted as insulting to Islam, because it depicts Islam’s Prophet Mohammad in Hell, being devoured by demons.