Belgium raises terror alert to highest level in Brussels

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / AFP

Brussels (AFP) - Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level in the capital Brussels on Saturday, with the OCAM national crisis centre warning of an "imminent threat" a week after the Paris attacks.

"Following our latest evaluation... the centre has raised its terror alert to level 4, signifying a very serious threat, for the Brussels region," it said, as Europe tightens security after Islamic State militants killed 130 people in the French capital.

"The analysis shows a serious and imminent threat requiring specific security measures as well as detailed recommendations to the population," said OCAM, which is part of the Belgian interior ministry, in a statement.

The centre urged citizens to avoid crowded areas such as concerts and transport hubs in Belgium's capital, which is also home to the European Union and NATO headquarters.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/belgium-raises-terror-alert-highest-level-brussels-statement-003243199.html

[uppityperson]

1. Looks like they are closing in on Salah Abdeslam, is 4 AM there. A couple more links....

http://abcnews.go.com/International/friends-isis-paris-fugitive-called-desperate-hiding-brussels/story?id=35330776

Friends Say ISIS Paris Fugitive Called Them; Desperate, Hiding in Brussels

The fugitive ISIS gunman from the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, is hiding in the Brussels area and has called friends to help him get back to Syria, according to two friends who told ABC News that they and a third friend spoke with Abdeslam this week via Skype on a cell phone. Abdeslam’s brother, Mohamed, confirmed two of the friends told him about Abdeslam's desperate phone call, and today Mohamed urged his brother to turn himself in to police.

"I believe he is not far away," said Mohamed Abdeslam outside his apartment building in Brussels.

Police have issued an international arrest warrant for Salah Abdeslam, 26, who authorities said fled the scene in Paris and returned to his hometown in the Brussels area the morning after the shooting. He is described as armed and dangerous.

A Belgian police official said today that authorities also have information Abdeslam is in the Brussels area....(more @ link)

http://oracleherald.com/2015/11/21/paris-bloodbath-suspect-salah-abdeslam-sighted-in-brussels.html

...

A man who investigators believe is the 26-year-old fugitive misfired his AK-47 after aiming the assault rifle at the head of a young woman outside the café, the Mail reported.

The left side shows Abdeslam in a normal outfit and without any accessories, while the right side shows him donning a dark wig and glasses. He confessed he was the getaway driver in a Seat Leon - along with his brother Ibrahim and another French suspect - but denied being one of the shooters, insisting his role in the attack was to simply make French contacts on behalf of the gang. She added that they hope Salah will surrender after hearing about the death of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the alleged mastermind of the attacks that killed at least 129 people and injured about 350 others.

Belgian police posted a video message, warning the public that Abdeslam is unsafe, and likely armed.

A friend, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I met Salah on Tuesday night". His current whereabouts are not clear....

The photo at the link is incorrect as


The real photo is

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Helluva disguise, though ...

we needed a laugh.

[uppityperson]

3. Yup, it's rather black and white

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Brussels metro shut as Belgian capital put on maximum alert

BRUSSELS, Nov 21 Belgium raised the alert status for its capital Brussels to the highest level on Saturday, shutting the metro and warning the public to avoid crowds because of a "serious and imminent" threat of an attack.

A week after the Paris attacks carried out by Islamic State militants, of whom one suspect from Brussels is at large and said by authorities to be highly dangerous, the city was placed on the top level "four" in the government's threat scale after a meeting of top ministers, police and security services.

"The advice for the population is to avoid places where a lot of people come together like shopping centres, concerts, events or public transport stations wherever possible," a spokesman for the government's crisis centre said.
...
A statement on the centre's website said it had recommended closing the underground rail network until Sunday and the municipal transport authority tweeted that stations on the four main metro lines were closed "by order of the police".

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/21/france-shooting-belgium-idUSL8N13G03020151121

[inanna]

5. Thank you for updating thread.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

6. Terrorist arsenal found in Brussels suburb

Terrorist arsenal found in Brussels suburb

A terrorist arsenal was discovered during overnight searches in a suburb of Brussels, Belgian paper Dernière Heure reports.

Chemicals and explosives were among the items found in the Molenbeek suburb, a rundown neighbourhood where Paris attacker Abdelhamid Abaaoud grew up.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/nov/21/paris-attacks-three-suspects-including-alleged-scout-arrested-in-turkey-live#block-56504daee4b0511f7b1dc567