Belgium foils at least six terrorist plots in last two years: official

Belgian authorities have thwarted at least six attempts to carry out terror attacks in the country since the end of 2014, a senior judicial official told media here on Tuesday.

According to Eric Jacobs, head of the Brussels Federal Judicial Police, fighting terrorism has become increasingly difficult as the Belgian capital region now houses people of more than 200 nationalities.

He said the foiled attacks were not planned only by the so-called "lone wolves" or "home-grown terrorists," but also by possible criminal networks.

"We're prepared for everything. We look closely into the profiles of the perpetrators. They are often petty criminals who are not sufficiently integrated into our society," he added.

Meanwhile, Jacobs underlined the importance of information provided by local communities in the battle against terrorism.

He revealed that the police department received an average of 600 tips from citizens on a daily basis, and at least 45 percent of the police forces are working on terrorism-related cases. Endit