Three men from Kosovo and an unidentified minor have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to blow up Venice's Rialto Bridge.

Fisnik Bekaj, Dake Haziraj and Arjan Babaj were detained in overnight raids after it emerged that they had undergone 'religious radicalisation'.

One of the suspected jihadist plotters boasted that they would 'go straight to heaven' if they put a bomb under the bridge, a wiretap conversation revealed.

They were reportedly inspired by the Westminster terror attacks in London and had discussed plans to join Islamist fighters in Syria.

(From left) Kosovo-born Fisnik Bekaj, Dake Haziraj and Arjan Babaj, and an unidentified minor have been arrested in Venice on suspicion of plotting to blow up the city's Rialto Bridge

This is the famous Rialto Bridge that the suspects allegedly plotted to blow up

Raids were conducted at 12 addresses in the historic city centre to find the men.

'With all the unbelievers there are in Venice, you put a bomb under the Rialto and you go straight to heaven,' the alleged plotter said.

'That was one the most worrying and alarming remarks we heard,' said Venice prosecutor Adelchi d'Ippolito said at a press conference.

Two of the men worked as waiters in Venice, according to local media. One of the suspects was arrested in an apartment close to La Fenice, Venice’s opera house.

Police had been monitoring the group since last year, it emerged.

The suspects appeared to have been studying how to build explosives but did not have the necessary components for making a bomb, the court heard.

A search of a Venice apartment revealed the suspects were getting into physical shape and watched clips of Islamic extremists on how to carry out knife attacks.

Footage showed police raiding the apartment of one of the suspects and detaining him

A search of a Venice apartment revealed the suspects were getting into physical shape and watched clips of Islamic extremists on how to carry out knife attacks

'There was a lot of talk about unconditional support to ISIS. It wasn't just theory and dogma,' d'Ippolito said of the wiretaps.

They were also envisioning moving on to 'planning and projects', he said.

Interior Minister Marco Minniti praised the police for what he called 'an important success in our terrorism prevention effort.'

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges that span Venice's Grand Canal, first built at the end of the 12th century.

Venice prosecutor Adelchi d'Ippolito said the suspects appeared to have been studying how to build explosives but did not have the necessary components for making a bomb

The suspects were ISIS supporters and became inspired after the Westminster terror attacks in London, a wiretap conversation revealed (pictured, soldiers patrolling Saint Mark's Square in Venice on Thursday)

Raids were conducted at 12 addresses in the historic city centre to find the men

The current bridge, an arched stone construction which dates from the late 16th century, is one of the best-known landmarks in the floating city and its walkways are frequently packed with tourists.

It was the only way of crossing the Grand Canal on foot for the best part of three centuries.

According to media reports, the wiretap evidence against the suspects also includes recordings of them celebrating the attack outside Parliament in London last week and discussing their desire to join Islamist fighters in Syria.