Two arrested in Antwerp terror probe

21 April 2004

BRUSSELS – Belgian police have arrested two Moroccan men as part of an investigation into threatened terrorist attacks in Antwerp, Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported on Wednesday.

The pair, who are brothers, were arrested during a series of three police raids in Antwerp, the newspaper continued, adding that no firm evidence was found during the swoops.

“The action was related to a threat of attacks against Antwerp targets,” said an unnamed Belgian prosecutor cited in the report.

De Standaard said anonymous sources had warned the Belgian authorities about a month ago that a “fundamentalist attack” was being planned against a location in Antwerp.

Earlier this month Belgian law enforcement officials confirmed that they were investigating threats of two terror attacks. One apparently targeted Antwerp’s Jewish community and the other threatened Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.

At the time reports said the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (MICG) could have made the threats. The MICG has been blamed for last year’s suicide bomb attacks in Casablanca, which killed 45 people.

It has also been cited in connection with the 11 March train bomb attacks in Madrid, which killed 191 people and injured over 1,400.

Subject: Belgian news