On Sunday, Belgian police arrested four teenagers after they allegedly exchanged messages about the preparation of a jihadist attack. This was reported by DW, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that four suspects - three minors of "late teenage age" and an adult man of 18 years - were arrested during searches at their homes in Brussels, Ninove, Charleroi and Liège.
A spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office told AFP that the details of the alleged attack were considered "quite disturbing, and a decision was made to intervene.
Not that they were planning anything for tomorrow, but it seemed inevitable enough not to intervene,
Police searched the suspects' homes and seized cell phones and laptops for further analysis. No weapons or explosives were found.
These arrests were the result of a police operation aimed at identifying individuals who may be prone to violence and associated with Islamic extremism.
Belgian Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt told reporters that this is not the first time that the authorities have quickly identified young people who were radicalized.
AddendumAddendum
The terrorist threat level in Belgium is currently at level 3, which means that there is a serious risk of an attack and that threats are possible. The highest level 4 means that an attack is imminent.
Recall
In November last year, police in Cologne detained two teenagers on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack. One of the detainees is a Russian citizen. According to German law enforcement, they planned to carry out a terrorist attack in Cologne during the Christmas market on December 1.