Belgium tightens security after arrest of alleged Islamists

Belgium police on Friday boosted security in Brussels over fears of a "possible" Christmas attack.

Izvor: AFP

Friday, 21.12.2007.

13:42

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Belgium police on Friday boosted security in Brussels over fears of a "possible" Christmas attack. The move comes after the arrest of 14 suspected Islamists, the Interior Ministry announced. Belgium tightens security after arrest of alleged Islamists The suspects were detained early Friday in a police raid following the discovery of what officials said were plans for a prison breakout involving weapons and explosives. "Today, Belgium must adopt security measures after the discovery, during a police raid, of plans for a prison breakout," said interior ministry spokesman Alain Lefevre. "The justice authorities did not want to take any risk and wanted to foil any possible attack," he said, but underlined: "At the moment there is no indication that an attack is being prepared." Security was tightened "in busy public places", such as the underground metro system, railway stations and the international airport, as well as at Christmas markets and in shopping districts. A spokeswoman for Belgium's federal prosecutor's office told reporters that the arrests were made after police discovered a plan for a jail break involving "weapons and explosives". The plan was to help free Nizar Trabelsi, who was sentenced in 2004 to 10 years in prison for planning, with other militants, an attack on a U.S. military base in Belgium. Once a professional footballer, Trabelsi later became a disciple of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, after they met in Afghanistan. Those arrested "have an extreme vision of Islam and were preparing a prison breakout with weapons and explosives," the spokeswoman, Lieve Pellens, said. "There is no guarantee that if these means are available, that they will not be used in another way during this period of the year when people get together" to celebrate the Christmas season, she said.

Belgium tightens security after arrest of alleged Islamists

The suspects were detained early Friday in a police raid following the discovery of what officials said were plans for a prison breakout involving weapons and explosives.

"Today, Belgium must adopt security measures after the discovery, during a police raid, of plans for a prison breakout," said interior ministry spokesman Alain Lefevre.

"The justice authorities did not want to take any risk and wanted to foil any possible attack," he said, but underlined: "At the moment there is no indication that an attack is being prepared."

Security was tightened "in busy public places", such as the underground metro system, railway stations and the international airport, as well as at Christmas markets and in shopping districts.

A spokeswoman for Belgium's federal prosecutor's office told reporters that the arrests were made after police discovered a plan for a jail break involving "weapons and explosives".

The plan was to help free Nizar Trabelsi, who was sentenced in 2004 to 10 years in prison for planning, with other militants, an attack on a U.S. military base in Belgium.

Once a professional footballer, Trabelsi later became a disciple of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, after they met in Afghanistan.

Those arrested "have an extreme vision of Islam and were preparing a prison breakout with weapons and explosives," the spokeswoman, Lieve Pellens, said.

"There is no guarantee that if these means are available, that they will not be used in another way during this period of the year when people get together" to celebrate the Christmas season, she said.

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