HAVANA -- Breaking its customary silence on the arrest of internal opponents, the government confirmed Thursday that State Security agents have rounded up four of Cuba's leading dissidents.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Miguel Alfonso said those arrested for investigation of ``charges related to counterrevolutionary crimes'' were Vladimiro Roca, head of a dissident labor group and the son of one of the founders of Cuba's Communist Party; Martha Beatriz Roque, head of an independent economists' organization; lawyer Felix A. Bonne; and Rene Gomez Manzano.

Wednesday's predawn raids swept up most of the top leadership of the Domestic Dissidents Working Group, a coalition of 14 opposition groups. The four are believed to be held in the Villa Marista State Security headquarters.

Alfonso said he did not know if the arrests were related to bombs that exploded in the lobbies of two Havana tourist hotels four days earlier.

``I don't want to speculate,'' he said. He also declined to say what activities the arrested dissidents were accused of.

``If a person is suspected of counterrevolutionary activities, he is arrested according to the laws in effect in Cuba, not in other countries,'' Alfonso said.

Wednesday's arrests were the strongest blow against internal critics since the government broke up a previous dissident organization, Concilio Cubano, in February 1996 by arresting or interrogating more than 200 members.

``This is clearly a step beyond what they've been doing,'' said a longtime resident who follows the dissident movement closely. ``They're sending an important signal here.''

The Domestic Dissidents Working Group was formed last year by former Concilio activists.

In a press conference for 16 foreign news organizations in May, the group's leaders urged Cuban voters to boycott elections scheduled this fall, and said they would send observers to report on absenteeism at the polls.

``This may be one of the biggest activities ever staged by dissidents inside the country,'' Roque told a Herald reporter afterward. ``This has to give some oxygen to the opposition in general.''

That press conference was held in Roca's home and was attended by all four of the group's leaders who were arrested Wednesday.

This report was supplemented with material from Herald wire services.

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