First France, now Belgium. Where next?
The recent spate of terror attacks and threats in Europe have many wondering what the next target might be, and how the danger can be mitigated.
Here are the latest developments:
Belgium: Armed soldiers patrol cities
Heavily armed guards filtered through the streets of Brussels and Antwerp on Saturday, a sight the country hasn’t seen in 35 years.
The high alert came after police went after a suspected jihadist cell in the eastern Belgian city of Verviers. Two suspects were killed in the raid, and a third was injured and taken into custody. Authorities have not released their identities.
The suspected terror cell, which included people returning from Syria, planned to target police officers, Federal prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt said. Police said they recovered weapons, bomb-making materials and police uniforms.
Why is Belgium particularly vulnerable? The small country is believed to have more suspected jihadists per capita than any other country in Western Europe.
Across Europe: Fear of ‘sleeper cells’
European counterterrorism agencies are scrambling to assess the potential terrorism threat from people with suspected links to Islamic extremists.
As many as 20 sleeper cells of between 120 and 180 people could be ready to strike in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, a Western intelligence source told CNN.
European Union and Middle East intelligence agencies identified an “imminent threat” to Belgium, and possibly to the Netherlands, the source told CNN.
“There is a tremendous amount of concern over sleeper cells in Europe,” said a Western official with direct knowledge of the situation.
But while there is a “realistic threat” to the Netherlands, government spokesman Edmond Messchaert said there is “no concrete or specific information of an attack in the Netherlands.”
France: Near escape of suspects into Italy
Two people suspected of involvement with the alleged terror cell in Belgium were detained while trying to cross from France into Italy through the Frejus tunnel, the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office said.
Meanwhile, the country is still reeling from a series of terror attacks this month that left 17 people dead — including 12 people in an attack at the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, al Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate, claimed responsibility Wednesday for the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
The publisher of Charlie Hebdo says the newspaper will increase the press run of the latest issue, which features a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed, to 7 million.
Greece: The latest country on alert
Greek police said they are conducting an investigation in connection with the Belgian terror plot. A police spokesman would not specify whether anyone had been taken into custody, saying, “We are not in a position to comment at this point.”
