French nab suspect in‘advanced’ terror plot

Credit: AP

TIGHT SECURITY: Belgian soldiers, above, patrol yesterday outside the court in Brussels where Salah Abdeslam, the top suspect in last year’s deadly Paris attacks, was expected to appear before a judge.

prevnext

 

n

The French foiled a terror plot in the “advanced stages,” arresting one last night as the hunt for ISIS sympathizers spread, including raids in Brussels that netted six wanted in connection with this week’s horrific bombings.

Bernard Cazeneuve, France’s interior minister, said there were no links 
between the arrest and the Brussels attack Tuesday or the Paris massacre in 
November. The arrest was made northwest of Paris, and there were bomb squads at the site, according to 
authorities.

Cazeneuve said the person arrested was implicated at a “high level” in the plot that was in the “advanced stages.” There have been 75 arrests in France since the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and injured hundreds more.

Belgian prosecutors, meanwhile, say six people have been detained in raids around Brussels. Those caught have links to the massive attack Tuesday on the city’s airport and nearby subway system that killed 31 and wounded 270, according to authorities.

The developments show both neighboring countries are moving fast to make up for security blunders, one expert said.

“The terror network has overlapping players in both countries,” said Max Abrahms, a terrorism expert and Northeastern University professor. “Belgium and French authorities are operating frantically. It’s definitely clear there are multiple terrorism suspects and they are doing everything possible to get a handle on the situation.”

In another chilling report, authorities said the ISIS-
affiliated bombers in Brussels were also possibly eyeing an attack on a nuclear power plant in the country, according to multiple news reports. That unnerving scenario was bolstered by reports the bombers had 12 hours of reconnaissance footage that included showing the home of a top nuclear power official in Belgium.

Both Belgium and France sent troops to guard nuclear facilities after the discovery of the footage taken from the apartment of one of the suspects in the Brussels bombings.

Earlier this week, police found a large stash of explosives and other bomb-making material in a Brussels apartment that they believe was being used by the suicide bombers.

Two of the suicide bombers are believed to be brothers Khalid El Bakraoui and Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who attacked the subway and airport, respectively. Najim Laachraoui, who is believed to have made bombs used in the Paris attacks, was the other suicide bomber at the airport, according to authorities.

Mourad Laachraoui, Najim Laachraui’s younger brother, said that he is overwhelmed with the evil his twisted sibling unleashed, telling reporters that “I feel bad, that’s all — scared and saddened.” He said the family had no contact with Najim since he left for Syria in 2013.

He said his brother was “a nice boy — especially intelligent,” who read a lot and practiced the martial art of tae kwon do. He described their family as a practicing Muslim household, but said he couldn’t say what put his brother on the path to 
extremism.

He said, “I’m no psychologist, no idea.”

European authorities, meanwhile, are calling on the European parliament “as a matter of urgency” to adopt an agreement that would 
allow authorities to exchange airport passenger data.

The ministers issued a statement of solidarity with Belgium after an emergency meeting.

The joint statement condemned the “horrific terrorist acts” in Brussels and described them as “an attack on our open, democratic 
society.”

Herald wire services contributed to this report.