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5 arrests in new Belgium anti-terror raids

Soldiers and police patrol past closed shops as the Belgian capital remains on the highest possible alert level. (Emmanuel Dunand, AFP)

Brussels – Belgian police arrested 5 more people in a new series of anti-terrorism raids on Monday, prosecutors said, as the capital Brussels was locked down for a third day under a state of maximum alert.

The arrests bring to 21 the total number of people detained since police launched a major security operation on Sunday night, with 16 people having been taken into custody earlier, they said.

“Following the operation of last night, five more house searches were conducted in the Brussels region and two more in the Liege region. Five persons were arrested during these searches,” the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

“A total of 21 persons were arrested since yesterday. They are currently questioned by the police.”

Around $27 500 in cash was seized during one of the searches and other items seized by police are being examined, the statement said.

Key Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam is believed to remain on the run after officials said he was not among those arrested on Sunday night.

An incident in which a BMW car rushed off when pulled over by police for a routine check near Liege on Sunday, which some Belgian media said involved Abdeslam had “no link at all with the ongoing operation” and the vehicle had been identified, they added.

Written by PH

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