Two jihadists killed by Belgian police were planning a “major” attack to kill members of the country’s security services, prosecutors said on Friday
ADVERTISEMENTTwo jihadists killed by Belgian police were planning a “major” attack to kill members of the country’s security services, prosecutors said on Friday
The suspected gunmen were killed during a shootout at a house the eastern town of Vervier close to the border with Germany.
Officers seized weapons and explosives, as well as police uniforms and cash.
Thirteen suspects have been arrested across Belgium, including two people in France.
Authorities believe some of them recently returned from Syria; they said all of those arrested in Belgium had Belgian citizenship.
Police say there is no link with the recent Charlie Hebdo and Hypercacher attacks in France.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters in Brussels that his government would speed up the introduction of planned anti-terror measures, saying that the army is available to help with security.
Michel said some of them would include creating a new terror offence of travelling abroad to commit terrorist acts.
His government also want to extend existing offences to include incitement to commit terrorism, recruiting and training people to commit terror.
Ministers also want to extend the powers to withdraw Belgian nationality, as well as a suspect’s national identity card.