Belgium detains 13 suspected terrorists in night of a dozen raids

(Image credit: Twitter.com/ITV News)

published 16 January 2015

Thursday night's intense gunfight between Belgian police and two suspected terrorists — killed in the shootout — was just the beginning. In a dozen raids across the country, Belgian police arrested 13 people believed to be part of the same terrorist cell. Eric Van Der Sypt, a spokesman for Belgian proesecutors, said that the weeks-long investigation "has shown that these people had the intention to kill several policemen in the street and at police commissariats," or police stations. "The operation was meant to dismantle a terrorist cell," he added, "but also the logistics network behind it."

Beligan police reportedly found guns, explosives, and police uniforms in the apartment of the two men killed in the town of Verviers. Beligum's investigation started before the Paris attacks, and there is no known link between the blogs, Van Der Sypt said. He added that Beligum would seek to extradite two other suspects detained in France but tied to the Beligan cell. France and Germany also arrested more than a dozen suspected terrorists in overnight raids.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.