Paris attacks: Attacker Abdeslam still not tracked; Brussels’ crackdown continues
Salah Abdeslam, one of the suspected masterminds of Paris attacks, still remains free as Brussels continue with its raid amid high alert. Sixteen people have been detained on the grounds of terrorism with the Belgian government declaring the risk of a Paris-style attack across the nation still “serious and imminent” on the third day of security lockdown.
In a massive manhunt to find Abdeslam, officials in Brussels have confirmed to have searched 19 houses across the city and had fired twice targeting a vehicle in Molenbeek. Authorities added that one of the detainees was injured when he tried to get away with his car during a fire exchange.
Meanwhile, Eric Van der Sypt, a Belgian federal prosecutor, said that they did not discover explosives or firearms. In addition, he said that further investigations are being carried out but the raid has ended.
Going by the sources of a Belgian media, Sky News reported that Abdeslam was tracked down when he was heading towards the German border in a BMW. However, the news remains unconfirmed. Immediately after the attack, Abdeslam reportedly travelled to Brussels, where schools, universities and the Metro transport system remained closed till Monday. In addition, his friends have remarked that he could still be armed with an explosive belt, reported the Financial Times.
“What we fear is an attack similar to what happened in Paris, with multiple individuals, maybe even that strike in several locations at the same time,” said Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, noting that authorities were “particularly attentive” to the public transport system.
It was reported earlier that two of the suicide bombers resided in the poor district of Molenbeek, Brussels. On the recent account, French police have issued the image of a third suicide bomber, who detonated a bomb at Paris’ Stade de France, the stadium where a soccer match between France and Germany had been taking place on Nov. 13. However, they haven’t been able to identify him.
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