Belgian media: several terrorism attacks 'prevented'

 Belgian authorities have reportedly foiled attacks by jihadist fighters returning home from Syria and by sympathizers of the "Islamic State." Several arrests have been made, according to Belgian newspaper.

Belgian authorities have prevented attacks in recent months, according to Belgian media on Saturday.

The report, which appeared in the Belgian daily L'Echo, cited unnamed sources who likened the foiled attacks to a deadly shooting at the Jewish Museum in central Brussels on May 24 which left four people dead.

Authorities believe that the suspect in the Brussels attack - Frenchman Mehdi Nemmouche - had links to Islamist extremists in Syria. He was recently extradited from France to Belgium where he faces charges of "murder in a terrorist context."

According to the sources of the Belgian newspaper report, authorities believe there are links between the planned terrorist attacks and the jihadist group "Islamic State."

Roughly 400 Belgians are believed to have travelled to Syria to fight alongside jihadist groups, L'Echo wrote. Police have been surveiling several of the 90 who have returned so far.

"Our starting point is that among them, one out of nine aim to carry out an attack," L'Echo quoted an unnamed source as saying. "That is a conservative estimate, if you also take into account the people who help them."

The federal prosecutor has not yet issued a statement regarding the arrests.

Many Western countries have expressed concern at the rising number of Islamist extremist sympathizers who have travelled to the Middle East to support ISIS/ISIL. They also fear the potential of the jihadist returning home to carry out terrorist attacks. Germany, for its part, recently banned all Islamic State activities, including any sign of affiliation with the group.

jng/kms (dpa, AFP)
http://dw.de/p/1DG8P 
20/9/14
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