The Belgian Federal Police arrested Thursday seven suspects suspected of preparing a jihadist attack in a preventive anti-terrorist operation for the Olympic Games in Paris, according to Belgian newspapers Le Soir and DH Les Sport and the French-speaking public broadcaster RTBF.

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The authorities intervened on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Paris Games because the Olympic event is a “potential target”, although so far there are no indications that the suspects specifically wanted to attack the Games, sources close to the investigation told the media.

The arrests took place within the framework of a European operation coordinated between several judicial and intelligence authorities, the sources added.

Preparation of a terrorist attack at the Paris Olympics from Belgium: the seven suspects arrested are supporters of the Islamic State.
The seven suspects arrested during 14 searches carried out in Belgium this Thursday morning were adult supporters of the Islamic State from… pic.twitter.com/xXwez5lO54

— Fat Cat 🌐 (@FATCAed) July 25, 2024

The suspects, mostly from Central Asia, claimed to belong to the Islamic State terrorist group ISIS in Khorasan, a region covering Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

At the request of an investigating court specializing in terrorism, the police carried out 14 searches which took place in ten Belgian locations, including Antwerp, Liège and Ghent.

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The authorities attribute participation in the activities of a terrorist group and the financing of terrorism to all those arrested, who will be brought before the courts.

-Thailand News (TN)