Belgian police have arrested two people on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack in Brussels on New Year's Eve, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. The two suspects were detained along with four others during house searches in and around Brussels, Liege, and Flemish Brabant on Sunday and Monday, but the other four have been released. The searches turned up military-style clothing, Islamic State propaganda and recruitment material, as well as computer evidence, but no weapons or explosives, the prosecutors said.
"Our investigation revealed serious threats of an attack on symbolic places in Brussels during the celebrations for New Year's Eve," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. The alleged plot is not related to the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, carried out by ISIS-linked assailants with Belgian ties, the prosecutors said. One suspect was charged with leading a terrorist group planning to commit terrorism offenses and terrorism recruitment, while the other suspect was charged with participating in terrorist activities, according to the prosecutor's office.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
July 9 editorial cartoonsCartoons Wednesday's political cartoons include AI in the job market, a book on GOP blowback, and a new line of Barbie doll
-
What is 'career catfishing' and why are Gen Z doing it?Under The Radar Successful job applicants are increasingly disappearing before their first day
-
The countries around the world without jury trialsThe Explainer Legal systems in much of continental Europe and Asia do not rely on randomly selected members of the public
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murdersspeed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bailSpeed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambushSpeed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrialSpeed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside homespeed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confessionspeed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulderspeed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC paradespeed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
