Threat
Four teenagers who were arrested on Sunday targeted the Brussels Botanique concert hall, but it is not (yet) clear how concrete their plan was.
The federal police arrested four teenagers on Sunday morning on suspicion of preparing an attack: three minors from Ninove, Brussels and Charleroi and an 18-year-old from Liège. This happened in the context of two different terror investigations into the jihadist environment.
In one investigation conducted in Dendermonde, three teenagers talked about an attack they wanted to commit at a concert hall, more specifically the Botanique. One of the minors was also under investigation in Brussels, where he talked with the adult suspect about preparing an attack.
The investigation will have to show whether the four were serious or whether it was (for the time being) just a boast. “But we prefer to intervene in such a situation,” says the federal public prosecutor’s office. “Better too early than too late.”
The adult suspect was arrested for participating in the activities of a terrorist group and preparing a terrorist attack. At least one of the minors has already been placed in a closed institution. According to our sources, the three minors had a date in mind when they wanted to strike at the Botanique. But this was recently pushed back by a few weeks. No weapons or explosives were found. Examination of computers and mobile phones should provide clarity about how concrete the plans were.
