Two Syrian men stopped in Italy while trying to catch a plane to Malta using false passports denied any links to terrorist organisations, claiming they were fleeing Isis.

According to Italian newspaper Corriere di Bergamo, Alali Faowaz, 30, said he had fled from jihadist extremists in Syria. Mr Faowaz said he went through hell when the jihadists took over the town of Raqqa and declared it the capital of Islamic State.

When he and Hazem Alhamed, 19, were intercepted at Bergamo airport, pictures of people in combat were found on one of their mobile phones.

They were arrested soon after Malta announced it had temporarily suspended the Schengen agreement and was reintroducing airport and seaport border controls.

I went through hell when the jihadists took over the town of Raqqa

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said on Wednesday Malta had asked the European Commission for the green light as it intended to extend the suspension of Schengen until the end of the year.

Malta had suspended Schengen as a security measure during the Valletta Migration Summit and again for this weekend’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The decision was taken against the backdrop of security threats across Europe, especially after the terrorist attacks by Islamic State operatives in Paris on November13. After that, the Maltese authorities uncovered what is believed to be a racket of foreigners who were trying to enter the island for work purposes using false passports obtained from other European countries.