Two brothers “suspected of planning an attack” have been arrested by anti-terror police in Belgium following overnight raids in Mons and Liege. The suspects have been named as Noureddine H, 33, and Hamza H, whose age is not known.
“Based on provisional results from the investigation, it appears that there were plans to carry out attacks in Belgium,” the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement. No explosives or weapons were found following seven house searches in Mons and one in Liege. It is not yet clear whether the brothers had pledged their allegiance to a specific group.
The country is currently on high alert following deadly attacks on Brussels Airport and a metro station. The assaults in March killed 32 people.
“For the time being, there is no connection with the terrorist attacks of the 22 March 2016 at Brussels Airport and Maelbeek metro station,” a Belgian spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Independent. Both men are due to appear before an investigating judge today (30 July), who will decide whether their detentions should be extended beyond a 24-hour period.