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Police Making Arrests in Belgium’s Anti-Terror Operation

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A spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office said that Belgian police detained 16 suspects during anti-terror raids in capital Brussels and in the city... 22.11.2015, Sputnik International

2015-11-22T22:39+0000

2015-11-23T04:58+0000

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Police Making Arrests in Belgium’s Anti-Terror Operation

22:39 GMT 22.11.2015 (Updated: 04:58 GMT 23.11.2015)

Policemen gather during an intervention in Brussels on November 22, 2015. - Sputnik International

A spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office said that Belgian police detained 16 suspects during anti-terror raids in capital Brussels and in the city of Charleroi.

Belgian Army soldiers patrol in the picturesque Grand Place in the center of Brussels on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015. - Sputnik International

Belgian Police Conducting Operation in Central Brussels Amid Terror Threat

22 November 2015, 19:05 GMT

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – Belgian police detained 16 suspects during anti-terror raids in capital Brussels and in the city of Charleroi, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office said Monday.

"Sixteen people have been arrested, a court investigator will decide about their detention tomorrow," the prosecutor told journalists.

According to the spokesperson, raids were conducted in the Molenbeek, Anderlecht, Jette, Schaerbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Forest districts of Brussels, as well as in Charleroi.

The raid was conducted after reports appeared last week claiming that Abdeslam Salah, believed to be the only extremist to survive the Paris attacks, was seen in one of the districts of the Belgian capital.

"There were no weapons, no explosives [found during the searches]. Abdeslam Salah was not arrested during the raids," the spokesperson said.

Previously Belgian Federal Police asked local media and social networks’ users not to disclose the exact locations in which anti-terror operations are conducted.

— Steven Vandeput (@svandeput) November 22, 2015

Operation under way Grand Place #Brussels. 2 blocks sealed off. Bendy bus blocking road. Spot the words on the side pic.twitter.com/WPEan81ubT
— Christian Fraser (@ChristianFraser) November 22, 2015

Belgian police was conducting an unprecedented anti-terrorist operation across several districts of Brussels, searching homes and arresting a number of suspects.

The operation was being conducted in the central district of Brussels, with officers blocking streets and asking local residents to stay away from windows.

© AFP 2023 / Emmanuel DunandSoldiers stand guard in front of the central train station on November 22, 2015 in Brussels, as the Belgian capital remained on the highest security alert level over fears of a Paris-style attack.

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Soldiers stand guard in front of the central train station on November 22, 2015 in Brussels, as the Belgian capital remained on the highest security alert level over fears of a Paris-style attack.

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Soldiers stand guard in front of the central train station on November 22, 2015 in Brussels, as the Belgian capital remained on the highest security alert level over fears of a Paris-style attack.

© AFP 2023 / Emmanuel DunandA soldier patrols around a security perimeter next to tourists taking a photo of the Manneken Pis statue, as a reported police intervention takes place, in Brussels on November 22, 2015. Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks, the Belgian prime minister said. Belgian police have launched several operations linked to the "terrorist threat" facing Brussels, which is under a top security alert over fears of Paris-style attacks, a spokesman said.

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A soldier patrols around a security perimeter next to tourists taking a photo of the Manneken Pis statue, as a reported police intervention takes place, in Brussels on November 22, 2015. Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks, the Belgian prime minister said. Belgian police have launched several operations linked to the "terrorist threat" facing Brussels, which is under a top security alert over fears of Paris-style attacks, a spokesman said.

© AFP 2023 / Emmanuel DunandBelgian soldiers stand guard as a reported police intervention takes place around the Grand Place central square in Brussels on November 22, 2015. Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks, the Belgian prime minister said.

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Belgian soldiers stand guard as a reported police intervention takes place around the Grand Place central square in Brussels on November 22, 2015. Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks, the Belgian prime minister said.

© AFP 2023 / BELGA / Nicolas MaeterlinckBelgian police officers secure an area in Brussels on November 22, 2015. Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks, the Belgian prime minister said.

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Belgian police officers secure an area in Brussels on November 22, 2015. Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks, the Belgian prime minister said.

© REUTERS / Youssef BoudlalA Belgian police officer takes position along a street during a continued high level of security following the recent deadly Paris' attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 22, 2015. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

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A Belgian police officer takes position along a street during a continued high level of security following the recent deadly Paris' attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 22, 2015. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

© REUTERS / Yves HermanBelgian soldiers patrol on the Grand Place of Brussels as police searched the area during a continued high level of security following the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 22, 2015. REUTERS/Yves Herman UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

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Belgian soldiers patrol on the Grand Place of Brussels as police searched the area during a continued high level of security following the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 22, 2015. REUTERS/Yves Herman UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

© AFP 2023 / Emmanuel DunnandA Belgian soldier stands guard around a security perimeter as a reported police intervention takes place around the Grand Place central square in Brussels on November 22, 2015. Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks, the Belgian prime minister said.

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A Belgian soldier stands guard around a security perimeter as a reported police intervention takes place around the Grand Place central square in Brussels on November 22, 2015. Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks, the Belgian prime minister said.

© REUTERS / Yves HermanBelgian police and military conduct a search in central Brussels following the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels
Belgian police and military conduct a search in central Brussels following the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 22, 2015. REUTERS/Yves Herman

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Belgian police and military conduct a search in central Brussels following the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels
Belgian police and military conduct a search in central Brussels following the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 22, 2015. REUTERS/Yves Herman

A Belgian soldier patrols near an armoured vehicle in central Brussels November 22, 2015, after security was tightened in Belgium following the fatal attacks in Paris. Belgium will keep the highest threat level for Brussels on Monday and will keep the metro as well as schools closed because of a "serious and imminent" threat of coordinated, multiple attacks, the country's prime minister said. REUTERS/Yves Herman

A Belgian soldier patrols near an armoured vehicle in central Brussels after security was tightened in Belgium following the fatal attacks in Paris. - Sputnik International

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Belgian police officers search the area during a continued high level of security following the recent deadly Paris attacks in Brussels - Sputnik International

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A Belgian police officer searches the area during a continued high level of security following the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 22, 2015.

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Soldiers stand guard in front of the central train station on November 22, 2015 in Brussels, as the Belgian capital remained on the highest security alert level over fears of a Paris-style attack.

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Soldiers stand guard in front of the central train station on November 22, 2015 in Brussels, as the Belgian capital remained on the highest security alert level over fears of a Paris-style attack.

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A Belgian police officer searches the area during a continued high level of security following the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 22, 2015.

The whole area of the immigrant Molebeek district was cordoned off, the media said.

On Saturday, the authorities raised the terror alert level in Brussels to level 4, the highest possible, in the wake of attacks in Paris earlier this month.

The Belgian police carried out a series of anti-terrorist operations detaining a number of people in Brussels, after it was revealed one of the Paris attackers had lived there. At least 16 suspects have been arrested, according to media reports.