Seven Arrested in Belgium on Charges of Planning Terrorist Attack

Belgian police forces arrested seven individuals on Thursday, July 25, during searches of 14 homes in Brussels, the capital of the country. According to Reuters, the Belgian prosecutor's office stated that this operation was focused on investigating a group suspected of 'financing terrorism and planning a terrorist attack operation.' The Belgian prosecutor's statement indicated that the seven individuals were arrested and are currently being interrogated, but no charges have been formally presented yet. Following the terrorist attack in Brussels last October, which resulted in the deaths of two Swedish citizens, the terrorist threat level in Belgium has been set at three, indicating that a terrorist operation is considered 'possible and probable.' The prosecutor's office did not specify whether this operation is related to the Paris Olympics, which begins on Friday, July 28, although local media reported that the timing of the operation is somewhat connected to the start of the games. French anti-terrorism police announced on Thursday that they had arrested two suspects in connection with planning one or more attacks in Paris. The Paris prosecutor's office also announced on Wednesday, July 24, that a 40-year-old Russian man was arrested on suspicion of planning to 'destabilize the Olympic games' at his apartment. According to the Paris prosecutor's statement, he is accused of 'conducting intelligence on behalf of a foreign power with the intent to incite hostility in France,' a crime that carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison in France. Belgium experienced two suicide bombings in 2016 at the airport and metro network, resulting in the deaths of 32 people and injuries to hundreds. Security measures have been intensified in France coinciding with the Paris Olympics; the second suspect involved in the attack has been arrested. Hackers linked to the Islamic Republic targeted Israeli athletes at the Paris Olympics.