Belgium’s authorities detained seven individuals on Thursday under suspicion of planning a “terrorist” attack, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced.
The arrests were part of a broader operation that included 14 raids across Belgium, indicating ongoing concerns about potential terror activities.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated, “All those arrested are suspected of participating in terrorist group activities, funding terrorism, and preparing for a terrorist attack.”
However, specifics about the targeted locations or potential victims remain undisclosed at this time.
Arnaud Dutroux, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor’s Office, told AFP, “We do not have any details at the moment regarding the locations or targets, but the evidence gathered leads us to believe that an attack was being planned.”
The morning’s raids took place, particularly in the regions of Liège, Antwerp, Ghent, Sint-Josse, Kortrijk, and Menen, all conducted at the behest of an anti-terrorism judge in Antwerp.
This incident comes years after the 2016 attacks in Belgium, where suicide bombings at the Brussels airport and metro system resulted in 32 deaths and several hundred injuries.
The same terrorist cell was responsible for the 2015 Paris attacks, which claimed 130 lives.
In a related incident in October 2023, a Tunisian extremist shot and killed two Swedish nationals in Brussels.
The victims were in town supporting their national team in a game against Belgium.
ISIS claimed responsibility for this attack, and police neutralized the gunman the following day in what was classified as a terrorist act.
