THE HAGUE (AFP) - Police in the Netherlands and Germany have arrested two men for allegedly recruiting jihadi fighters to go to Iraq and Syria, Dutch police said on Thursday. A woman was also held with the man arrested in Germany, the police said in a statement.

All three are from The Hague and are accused of inciting hatred through social media and plotting terror attacks, the police said, likely referring to help allegedly given to would-be Islamist fighters to reach the Middle East.

"The two male suspects are suspected of recruiting for the armed terrorist struggle in Syria and/or Iraq and conspiring to commit murder with terrorist intent," the statement said.

Dutch police said they raided four homes as part of the operation. They declined to answer questions ahead of a press conference about the arrests in The Hague at around 2om GMT on Thursday.

The growing numbers of Westerners joining the Islamic State and other extremist groups has raised fears that they could return home and carry out attacks.

An estimated 130 Dutch citizens have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq, Dutch authorities say. Around 30 have returned while 14 were killed in the fighting, according to the Dutch intelligence service AIVD.