Belgian security forces arrested a total of 12 people accused of planning new terrorist attacks after overnight home searches around the country.
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Three men have been charged with “attempted terrorist murder” following sweeping nationwide anti-terror raids in Belgium, federal prosecutors said on Saturday.
There were no major incidents during the raids and no arms or explosives were found.
Today’s arrests come just months after Islamist suicide bombers killed 32 people in Brussels in March following attacks in Paris in November, in which 130 people died.
Authorities are also especially aware of security risks during the Euro 2016 championships in neighbouring France.
The prosecutor’s statement said that “the results of the investigation necessitated an immediate intervention”, indicating a violent attack was likely planned in the near future.
Separately, a judiciary source told Reuters on Friday a 22-year-old man suspected of planning attacks on tourists had been jailed on terrorism charges after being arrested at the start of the week.
They have also been charged with “participation in the activities of a terrorist group”, while the nine others were released after questioning, prosecutors added.
At the same time, four top ministers, including Prime Minister Charles Michel, Geens and Jambon, received special protection following unspecified threats.
Belgium are now on red-alert over more potential terrorist attacks in the coming weeks. Numerous suspects involved in the Paris attacks grew up and lived in Molenbeek, including terror mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Abdeslam brothers, and Mohamed Abrini, who was also involved in the Brussels attacks.
Three people have been charged with terrorism offences after they were arrested in Belgium overnight. That government body, which reviews and evaluates intelligence and other terrorism-related information, sent an alert to the police saying extremists who had fought in Syria were headed for Belgium and France.
Flemish commercial broadcaster VTM reported that the swoop was connected to a threat linked to Belgium’s fixture against Ireland, held Saturday afternoon in Bordeaux, France.
They are facing preliminary charges of participation in a terrorist group that meant to commit one or many crimes.
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Public broadcaster RTBF said Belgium’s crisis center on Friday had placed several government ministers, including Michel, under heightened protection. The search for another safehouse continued while arrests were made of those allegedly involved in the Brussels and Paris attacks.
