Three People In Connection With Paris Terrorist Attacks Arrested In Belgium
The investigation into the horrific Paris attacks has crossed the borders into Belgium. Three arrests have been made in the case, and officials say that at least one of the three people arrested was involved with the terrorist attacks in Paris, as reported by ABC News.
Officials say that one man believed to be connected to the heinous Paris attacks was arrested, as well as the family members of a man, who is thought to be involved in the attacks in Paris, have been detained. The man is “believed to be a French man born in the Parisian suburbs.”
The investigation was taken across the border into Belgium when some cars that had been used in the attacks were traced to Brussels, Belgium.“Because they are looking for suspects, it was important to conduct operations in Brussels because of the ties they could potentially have here.”
A Belgian radio station spoke with Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens who said that it was a rental car that led the investigative operations from Paris to Brussels. The car had been seen outside of the concert hall in Paris, which was the site of the deadliest of the attacks in the city.
The terrorist attacks left 127 people dead in Paris on Friday after the terrorist group ISIS, who took responsibility for the horrifying acts, coordinated multiple attacks across the city.
According to ABC News, eight of the terrorists involve in the Paris attacks are dead. Seven of them died after detonating suicide vests. French authorities have stated that they believe all of the terrorists that were directly involved in the shootings and bombings are dead.
Police sources say that three of the attackers at the concert hall died after they detonated their suicide vests when French police began to arrive. One of the terrorists was shot to death by police, four of the terrorists died at a soccer stadium in Paris, and another died on an eastern Paris street.
The investigation that is now reaching across borders into Belgium is searching for those who aided in orchestrating the coordinated attacks.
The terrorist group ISIS claims that they are the group responsible for the atrocious Paris attacks. The president of France, Francois Hollande, had blamed ISIS for the attacks from the beginning. He made a statement on Saturday regarding the attacks on his country.
“And when faced with war, the country must take appropriate decisions. An act committed by a terrorist army, DAESH [ISIS], against what we are, a free country that speaks together with the planet.”
In addition to the egregious number of lives taken, 300 others were injured and hospitalized as a result of the Paris attacks. Eighty of those people were in life-threatening condition, and only 53 of the 300 who were hospitalized have been released, as of Saturday evening.
The president of France declared a state of emergency after the shocking attacks in Paris. All public buildings, such as schools, museums, libraries, and town halls, “were closed indefinitely starting Saturday.”
The U.S. Embassy in Paris advised U.S. citizens in the city to take shelter in place. Some American citizens were among those injured during the attacks. Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner explained that the government is working to find those American citizens who were injured during the attacks.
“The U.S. government is working closely with French authorities to identify American victims. We are aware there are Americans among the injured, and are offering them the full range of consular assistance.”
As far as the investigation in Brussels goes, Daniel Benjamin, a former counter-terrorism coordinator at the U.S. State Department, says that Belgium has been dealing with a “serious jihadi issue” for over ten years, but the Belgian authorities are not as capable of dealing with the problem as larger countries are.
Check back with the Inquisitr to get updates on the investigation into the Paris attacks.
[Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images]