Belgium Police Arrests Twelve in a Huge Anti-Terror Operation

On 22 March, bombs killed 32 people at a Brussels airport and a metro station.

Police in Belgium have made 12 arrests in a huge anti-terror operation, nearly three months after the deadly bomb attacks on Brussels.

Those detained overnight are suspected of plotting a terrorist attack, prosecutors say. They were among 40 taken in for questioning.

Searches were conducted in 16 municipalities, mainly around Brussels, with checks on 152 lock-up garages.

No arms or explosives were found during the searches, which passed off without incident, Belgium’s federal prosecutor said in a statement.

Among the areas where searches took place was Molenbeek, a Brussels district which has become notorious because of its associations with jihadists.

The federal prosecutor said the operation had been launched after investigations which “necessitated an immediate intervention”.

However, the Belgian government has not raised the threat level.