Belgian police arrest two suspects over plotting attacks

Authorities in Belgium have arrested two people on suspicion of plotting attacks in the capital, Brussels, during New Year celebrations.

The federal prosecutor's office said on Tuesday that one of the two detainees is suspected of planning raids as well as “playing a lead role in the activities of a terrorist group and recruiting for terrorist acts,” while the other faces charges of planning and “participating in the activities of a terrorist group.”

It added that based on what has been found out there was the threat of “serious attacks that would target several emblematic places in Brussels and be committed during the end-of-year holidays.”

Meanwhile, an unnamed source said the suspects sought to target the Belgian capital's main square, which is full of holiday shoppers and strollers at this time of the year, among other places.

“On the Grand Place, there are a lot of people, as well as soldiers and police who are patrolling, as well as a police station nearby,” said the source.

The arrests were said to have been made after searches on December 27 through December 28 in the Brussels area, the Liege region and Flemish Brabant.

Police reportedly discovered military-style training uniforms, computer hardware and Daesh Takfiri terror group’s propaganda material during the searches and are examining them.

The prosecutor's office denied any connection between the police action of the past two days and the wave of deadly attacks in Paris on November 13, which were claimed by Daesh and which France says were planned in Belgium.

The Belgian authorities are still searching for suspects linked to the Paris attacks that claimed 130 lives and left hundreds more injured.

The 26-year-old Salah Abdeslam, who was born in Brussels, is the top fugitive suspected of having played a key role in the Paris bloodshed. He is believed to have returned to the Belgian capital.

Brussels has been at alert level three since the end of November. The level is one notch below the maximum alert of a serious and imminent terrorist threat.

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