Two people have been killed yesterday at around 6:30 PM Belgium time in a “counter-terrorism” raid in Verviers in eastern Belgium and the security alert level has been raised in the kingdom, according to a Belgian prosecutor. Magistrate Eric Van der Sypt said that the suspects were on the verge of committing a major attack and that they immediately opened fire on security forces. He said in an emergency news conference at 8:30 PM last night that raids were under way in the Brussels region and Verviers. Belgium’s terror alert level was raised to its second highest level. Reports said there were no casualties among the security forces involved. Police closed the streets around the building where the operation was taking place. Witnesses said gunshots and several explosions were heard on a residential street in Verviers near the railway station. Belgian investigators said earlier yesterday, they were probing whether an arms dealer sold weapons used in the Paris attacks, after Amedy Coulibaly, one of the Paris gunmen, sold the man a car belonging to his partner Hayat Boumeddiene. There was no immediate confirmation of any link between the Coulibaly investigation and Thursday’s raid. The man, Neetin Farasula, from the airport city of Charleroi in French-speaking southern part of Belgium, is in detention on suspicion of a possible link to the weapons used in the Paris attacks. Belgian prosecutors are working with French authorities to find out any “possible link” to last week’s attacks. A second press conference will be held at 11 AM today Belgium time.
– The most important Jewish schools in Antwerp have decided late last night to cancel all classes today, Friday. The decision comes in response to the heightened terrorist threat to sensitive targets. The decision came after an internal security of the Jewish community made a safety analysis. It is considered too dangerous to allow the lessons continue on Friday. It is an analysis that the Israeli security service Mossad reported. Mossad gives the same advice to embassies in countries with a large Jewish community. Mr. Isi Morsel, the head of the organizing body Jesode-Hatora, the largest accredited Jewish school in Belgium, told the Jewish News that the school is a possible target, and therefore takes no risks. “The school will remain closed until further notice”, Mr. Morsel said, though he is confident that the police and the mayor of Antwerp will do everything possible to address the threat. He’s hoping that Monday, the said school will open. The parents of the students were informed last night about the decision via SMS or text messaging.
