Belgium foils six attacks in two years

Belgium has foiled six attacks in the past two years, a senior police official said Tuesday.

"Since November 2014, we have been able to foil no fewer than six attacks, and this in close collaboration with the intelligence services," Eric Jacobs, head of the Federal Judicial Police in Brussels, told The Last Hour and De Tijd newspapers.

Jacobs did not give further details. The growing population and diverse nationalities in the capital city has made fighting terrorism a tougher challenge, he said.

There are more than 200 nationalities in the capital, and there are many radical groups, he said.

One of the biggest problems for his services is the verification of information, said Jacobs.

The judicial police have been dealing with information far more than before -- up to 600 tips daily, he said, adding that a lot of the tips are not relevant.

The threat level in Belgium is expected to remain high at three on a scale of four levels through the New Year holiday. Endi