At least six people were arrested in Brussels on Thursday night in police raids connected to Tuesday’s attacks.
The operation began around 9 p.m. and was carried out by special units of the Federal Police supported in some cases by the army.
The federal prosecutor’s office confirmed operations took place in central Brussels, and in the Jette and Schaerbeek districts.
Latest from police operation in #schaerbeek pic.twitter.com/wsh9SMOUkA
— Cassandra Vinograd (@CassVinograd) March 25, 2016
Three people were arrested outside the prosecutor’s office in the centre of Brussels, two people were arrested in Jette, and one other was arrested elsewhere in the Belgian capital. No charges have been made, and it is expected that final decisions on charging the suspects will be made on Friday.
A “loud bang” was reported by residents of Schaerbeek, but this has not been confirmed.
The Guardian reported that police had sealed off a large area of Schaerbeek, and attention seemed to be focusing on one building in the district around midnight. RTBF reported that by 1 a.m. searches appeared limited to number 20, Rue du Pavilion.
Statement from Belgium's federal prosecutor's office on tonight's arrests (in Dutch and French only) pic.twitter.com/EvbPO6YKzZ
— Michael van Poppel (@mpoppel) March 24, 2016
Perquisition anti-terroriste à Argenteuil. Les accès au boulevard General Delambre sont fermés. pic.twitter.com/zknUFoZdWl
— Djamel Mazi (@djamel_mazi) March 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/annabosch/status/713108602505072640
Main image: Police cordon during an operation in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels on March 24. @annabosch/Twitter