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‘Suspect nabbed in Belgium over Paris raids’

Monday, 16 November 2015 11:00 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 17 November 2015 5:20 AM ]

Special forces arrive at the scene during a house search in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, Belgium, November 16, 2015. (Photo by AFP)

Police in Belgium have arrested a suspect in connection with the recent terrorist attacks in the French capital of Paris, a report says.

A Reuters report initially cited Belgian broadcaster RTL as saying that the individual arrested was Salah Abdeslam, one of the suspected assailants in the Friday attacks in Paris. However, another report later cited the Belgian public broadcaster RTBF as saying that the suspect taken into custody was not Abdeslam.

The development comes only three days after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks brought shock and horror to the French capital. At least 132 people were killed and 350 others were injured in the horrendous attacks late on Friday.

Abdeslam is reportedly a key suspect in connection with the attacks; the assailants directly involved in the attacks were either killed by police or died after detonating their explosive belts.

On Sunday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the terrorist attacks in Paris had been planned from abroad with support from militants in Belgium.

“The attacks that hit us on Friday were planned abroad. A group of attackers who were mobilized for the action were situated on Belgian territory and could have provided – the inquiry will tell us – their support in France,” Cazeneuve said.

Cazeneuve made the remarks after talks with his Belgian counterpart Jan Jambon in Paris.

The French official said that the European countries should boost intelligence sharing, calling for “systematic and coordinated controls” at the internal borders of the European Union (EU).

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