Belgian terrorist suspects to remain in custody

The three men arrested as part of a crackdown on a terrorist cell operating in Belgium will be held in custody for a further month, the Belgian prosecution service announced on Wednesday.

A total of 13 people were arrested last Thursday as part of a police investigation into a suspected jihadist cell believed to be about to carry out imminent attacks against the state.

Also last Thursday, two men were killed in a shoot-out with police in the eastern town of Verviers.

Arrests were also made in France, Germany, and Greece as part of a Europe-wide clampdown on suspected terrorist activities.

According to the Belgian prosecutor, the three men held in connection with last week's arrests will be detained for at least a month, according to a report in De Standaard.

The three men, named Marouan El Bali, Mohamed Arshad Hamja Mamood Hajni and Billel H. were charged with participation in a terrorist group, as well as offences relating to possession of weapons and explosives.

Marouan El Bali was also charged with taking part in an armed rebellion. He was arrested during the raid in Verviers and is suspected of providing logistical support to the terrorist cell. He denies the charges.

The prosecutor also confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that the two suspects killed in the Verviers raid were 26-year-old Sofiane A. with dual Belgian and Moroccan citizenship and 23-year-old Khalid B from Belgium.

Both men had recently returned to Belgium from Syria. Endit