They were preparing an assault on a concert hall; 'Belgian Bataclan' foiled

Brussels – A ‘Belgian Bataclan:’ the scenario of an assault on a nightclub like the one that occurred in France on November 13, 2015, is real and, fortunately, was foiled by the country’s security forces. Four people, including three minors, were detained and questioned as part of an investigation by police in Brussels, Liege, Ghent, and Charleroi. The federal prosecutor’s office announced that an attempted attack on a concert hall in the Belgian capital “planned within a few weeks” has been foiled. According to reports in the Belgian media, the target was the Botanique. These are only the first elements of the investigation on which the strictest confidentiality is preferred for the time being. Investigators said that of the four people arrested, the Brussels investigating judge specialized in terrorism questioned the only adult. He was charged with participating in the activities of a terrorist group and preparatory acts aiming to commit a terrorist attack.

It is unclear at the moment whether the entire cell was wiretapped or whether other people may be involved in the attempted attack. Prosecutors, however, said that given the involvement of minors, information about them will not be made public.

The terror alert in the country, already subject to a double attack in 2016 on the Zaventem International Airport and the Maelbeek metro station, remains high, however, not far from the EU institutions. The announcement from the prosecutor’s office confirms the increased threats and renewed focus of law enforcement on countering them.

English version by the Translation Service of Withub