BELGIAN anti-terror cops arrested 12 people after terror suspects were seen driving near a square where fans were gathering to watch their team’s Euro 2016 clash against Ireland.
The Belgian football team, known as the Red Devils, played the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux yesterday but it’s believed fans watching the match on giant TV screens in Brussels city centre were the target.
Prime Minister Charles Michel said Belgium would remain “extremely vigilant, hour by hour” and that security would be stepped up at public events as a result of the development.
But he added that the terror level across the nation would remain at the second-highest level, meaning a threat of an attack “is possible and likely”.
Belgium has been living under constant threat since March 22 when three co-ordinated bombings on the Brussels subway and at the city’s airport left 32 people dead.
“It will be the case in the coming hours that we will take additional and adapted measures,” said Mr Michel after a meeting of the nation’s security council.
The federal prosecutor’s office said that as well as the arrests, homes and garages were searched in 16 municipalities, mostly in and around Brussels.
There were no major incidents during the raids and no arms or explosives were found. It said 40 people were taken for interrogation, of whom 12 were detained.
“It is not over. We remain under terror alert three, it means that something is still up,” Interior Minister Jan Jambon said.
The prosecutor’s statement said that “the results of the
investigation necessitated an immediate intervention,” indicating a violent attack was planned in the near future.
The federal prosecutor’s office did not link the raids to the March attacks, even though an eighth suspect was arrested as part of the investigation of those attacks late on Friday.
The Belgian man, identified as Youssef E.A., was charged with “participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempts at terrorist murders”.
Four top ministers, including Mr Michel and Mr Jambon, have also received special protection following unspecified threats.
The March bombings were the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium’s history. Following the attacks, three days of national mourning were declared.
Five people were involved, with three of them dying in suicide bombings and the remaining two arrested in the weeks after. Islamic State claimed responsibility.
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