January 2015 anti-terrorism operations in Belgium

2015 anti-terrorism operations in Belgium
Part of Wave of Terror in Europe

Location of the province of Liège within Belgium
Location Verviers, Liège, Belgium
Coordinates 50°35′23″N 5°51′47″E / 50.589818°N 5.862967°E / 50.589818; 5.862967Coordinates: 50°35′23″N 5°51′47″E / 50.589818°N 5.862967°E / 50.589818; 5.862967
Date 15 January 2015
Attack type
 Police raid
Deaths 2 suspects
Non-fatal injuries
 1 suspect
Perpetrators Islamic State

On 15 January 2015, Belgian police carried out a raid on premises in Verviers, Belgium. According to news sources, the raids were an anti-terrorist operation against Islamist radicals.[1][2]

Operations

Two suspects died in the raids, which involved heavy gunfire, with a third being seriously wounded.[2][3][4]

Other operations were carried out in Brussels and the nearby communes of Schaerbeek, Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Vilvoorde, and Zaventem.[5] An armed man was reported to have been arrested in Brussels.[5]

The Belgian prosecutor's office stated that the raids were an operation against a jihadist terrorist cell,[6][7] reportedly believed to have links to ISIS,[8] on the verge of committing a terrorist attack.[9]

Police are investigating the possibility of links to the Charlie Hebdo shooting in neighbouring France.[10] The men killed in the raid, Redouane Hagaoui and Tarik Jadaoun, were alleged by police to have been planning to attack sellers of the "survivors' issue" of Charlie Hebdo released following the attack in Paris.[11]

The cell was led by Abdelhamid Abaaoud via telephone from Athens, who evaded capture in the Greek capital. In November that year, he led an attack in Paris.[12]

Response

On 17 January 2015, the Belgian government began a deployment of troops throughout Belgium to defend potential terrorist targets.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Belgian anti-terror raid in Verviers 'leaves two dead'". BBC News. 15 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Belgian counterterrorism raid in Verviers leaves 2 dead, report says". CBC News. 15 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Bruno Waterfield (15 January 2015). "Casualties in Belgium police anti-terror raid in Verviers". The Daily Telegraph.
  4. ↑ "Politie schiet twee terreurverdachten dood in Verviers, verschillende invallen in ons land". newsmonkey (in Dutch). 15 January 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Opérations anti-djihadistes en Belgique: deux morts (vidéos et direct)" (in French). Le Soir. 15 January 2015.
  6. ↑ James Kanter (15 January 2015). "At Least 2 Killed in Antiterror Raid by the Belgian Police". New York Times.
  7. ↑ "Belgique: opération contre un groupe jihadiste prêt à commettre un attentat, deux morts". Lindependant.fr (in French). 15 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Mariano Castillo (15 January 2015). "Report: Two killed in Belgian anti-terror operation". CNN.
  9. ↑ "Belgium police kill two that authorities claim were on verge of terrorist attack". Irish Times.
  10. ↑ Andy Lines (15 January 2015). "Verviers: Three terrorists killed in Belgium after police swoop on address following tip-off". Daily Mirror.
  11. ↑ Bruno Waterfield (16 January 2015). "Belgian terrorist cell 'linked to targeting of news agents selling Charlie Hebdo'". Daily Telegraph.
  12. ↑ Morris, Chris (8 December 2015). "Paris attacks 'ringleader' Abdelhamid Abaaoud evaded Athens police". BBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "Belgium deploys troops following anti-terror raids". BBC News. 17 January 2015.
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