Three arrested for suspected terrorism in Belgium

Police in the north-west Belgian town of Kortrijk confirmed on Tuesday that three men were arrested the previous night for suspected terrorism.

The three were arrested in the nearby town of Harelbeke on Monday night, following a car chase by the police.

Police in Kortrijk confirmed on Tuesday that the men have been retained in custody on suspicion of being in connection with the terrorist ceel that was broken up by the police earlier in the month, according to a report in Het Laaste Nieuws.

The police spokesman would not give further details.

Discussions with the federal prosecutor on the exact extent of the charges are currently being worked out.

In 2014, three young men from the Kortrijk region were known to have travelled to Syria in support of the radical group Islamic State (IS).

Two of the men who travelled to Syria have in recent weeks posted inflammatory comments on social media relating to attacks on Belgium.

One of the men, Abdelmalek Boutalliss, wrote last weekend on Facebook, "we will forward you with a painful punishment. We are not finished with you."

His companion Lucas Van Hesschet wrote, "we are not a small army. We are a state that is expanding, and will arrive in Belgium whether you like it or not."

However, the police refused at this time to confirm whether the three arrested are the same people or if they have links to the IS organisation. Enditem