The two arrested in Ciudad Real were taking a bus from southern Cadiz to the northern town of Irun, possibly intending to cross into France, the minister said. The pair had been in Spain for around two months.

"Police moved to arrest them when it became known that they planned to leave Spain," he said.

Fernandez Diaz did not disclose the identities of the three, but said two were suspected al-Qaida operatives while the Turk was a facilitator.

He described one operative as a key member of the terror network, and said both operatives had practiced flying in light aircraft. One was an expert in explosives and poisonous substances, he said.

Spanish police arrested dozens of al-Qaida suspects since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, and more after the 2004 train bombings in Madrid.