Four arrested teenagers were planning terror attack on Brussels concert venue

The four teenagers (aged between 15 and 18) arrested on Sunday on suspicion of terrorism likely wanted to carry out an attack on an unnamed concert venue in Brussels and reportedly even had a concrete date for their plans.

In two investigations by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Dendermonde Prosecutor’s Office, four people were arrested during searches this weekend. It concerns three minors from Ninove, Brussels and Charleroi, and one adult from Liège who were all allegedly organising an attack.

“These are individuals suspected of preparing a terrorist attack,” Eric Van Der Sypt of the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office told VRT. “We have to frame the individuals in the jihadist milieu.”

The group had come into contact with each other online and had begun to make plans to carry out an attack, investigators believe. Speaking to VTM NEWS on Sunday, Federal Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt (Open Vld) said that they communicated via “closed chat groups.” It is now being investigated whether they had links to other people at home and/or abroad.

Read more: Brussels Times