Belgium detains eight people over suspected attack plan

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgian authorities detained eight people following raids on suspicion of planning an Islamist attack in Belgium, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.

They said in a statement that the target of the potential attack was not clear and did not comment on how advanced the preparations were.

Police carried out raids late on Monday at five addresses in Brussels, Antwerp and in Eupen, a city near the German border and detained five men, at least two of them suspected of planning an attack.

In a separate investigation, police also raided three other addresses in and near Brussels and took in three people, also on suspicion of planning an attack.

“There are links between the two files, but further investigation will be needed to show the extent to which the two groups were connected,” prosecutors said.

Judges will need to decide whether the eight detained should face charges and be held longer in custody.

Belgium was the home to a number of the perpetrators of the 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130 people and Brussels was itself the target of twin bomb attacks at its airport and on its metro in March 2016, when 32 people were killed.

Brussels is home to EU institutions and NATO. The Brussels attacks trial is taking place in the former NATO headquarters.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by GV De Clercq)