Salah Abdeslam, Main Suspect in Paris Terror Attacks, Arrested

French police and the Belgian prosecutor's office confirmed on Friday, March 18, that Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the planning of the largest terrorist attacks in French history, has been arrested in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. The French news agency published a statement from the police regarding Mr. Abdeslam's arrest. Belgian media also reported that Salah Abdeslam was captured alive but injured during a large-scale anti-terror operation in Brussels. The Belgian prosecutor's office confirmed that this Paris attack suspect was wounded in the leg during a police shooting. Mr. Abdeslam is of Moroccan descent and holds French nationality, having grown up in Belgium. He had been hiding in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels, which is one of the main centers for extremist Islamists in Europe. Police operations to find another suspect are still ongoing, and two explosions have also occurred in the area. Salah Abdeslam is mentioned as one of the main architects of the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015. In the last four months, European security services have conducted extensive operations to capture him. The November attacks in the French capital left more than 125 dead and hundreds injured. These attacks were the largest terrorist operation in French history, for which the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility. Mr. Abdeslam's fingerprints and DNA had previously been found in a house that was the target of the Belgian police operation. Capturing Salah Abdeslam alive would be a significant achievement for the security services of France and Belgium. In this context, one suspect of the Paris attacks was killed in an operation in Brussels, and two other suspects related to the Paris attacks were charged in Belgium. The state of emergency continues in Belgium; police are pursuing Abdeslam and another suspect. Weaknesses and inaccuracies in security agencies in preventing the Paris attacks have been highlighted. Sixteen people were arrested in a Belgian police 'anti-terrorism' operation. French police are searching for a 'dangerous suspect' linked to the Paris attacks.