Four men have been charged in Switzerland with supporting the Islamic State and preparing a terrorist attack

The four Iraqi nationals, aged between 29 and 34, are suspected of being an Islamic State terror cell.

Swiss authorities are working in cooperation with the U.S. on the case as per a 2006 treaty which mandates joint investigations in terrorism cases. They have also cooperated with other European security services.

Three Iraqis were arrested in March/April 2014 after telephone calls were intercepted by a Western agent who passed the information on to Swiss police.

The group is alleged to have helped around 40 Swiss jihadis travel to Syria and Iraq and attempted to purchase poisonous gas and explosives to mount terror attacks.

They “aided and abetted smuggling further IS followers to Europe, assumed coordination tasks, disseminated propaganda for the actions of the terrorist organisation, gave instructions and also provided operative advice amongst other things” according a statement by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General.

A fourth man was arrested in July 2015, “who had travelled to Syria to hand over radio equipment to IS.”