Belgian federal prosecutors said in a statement that six individuals linked to the attacks on the city's airport and subway system have been detained during raids in central Brussels.
The Guardian reported that six arrests were made after the two Belgian government ministers offered to resign amid mounting criticism of the country's failure to foil the attacks. Evidence from the prosecutors suggests that the attacks were carried out by the same Islamic State group responsible for the carnage in Paris back in November. Although several raids were executed across Brussels, two of the suspects were believed to be on the run.
According to The Telegraph, a French national had already been jailed in Belgium for his involvement in recruiting young Europeans for jihad in the Middle East. However, the interior minister and the police declined to give more details of the alleged plot and would not comment on the reports of the man's arrest or the weapons used.
Police found a large stash of explosives and several bomb materials earlier this week in an apartment in Schaerbeek believed to be used by the suicide bombers. Schaerbeek residents said they heard detonations during the raids conducted by the police, says CBS News. It was unclear whether they were controlled detonations or explosions.
A man who had been in the "advanced phase" of a plot to launch a terror attack in France was also arrested in a Paris suburb on Thursday. On the same day, Belgian authorities lowered its terror-threat level by one notch.
Prosecutors also identified brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el Bakraoui as suicide bombers and Najim Laachraoui as suspected bomb-maker for the Paris attacks. Ibrahim el Bakraoui and Laachraoui died in the airport whil Khalid El Bakraoui blew himself up on the train.
Claude Moniquet, a terrorism expert, told reporters that intelligence agencies aim to improve their game, and fast. He estimated that there may be dozens more of potential suicide bombers in Europe.
