AT least two suspected jihadists were killed in an anti-terror raid by Belgian police in Verviers on Thursday.
Fox News reported that the police operation, conducted on the heels of a tip, could actually be larger.
The highly respected newspaper Le Sour in Brussels reported that the terror operation was part of a bigger attack that was being planned for several spots in the region, and that police may be detaining others.
“A second Paris has been avoided,” a source with the ministry of justice told Nieuwsblad newspaper.
Various media have reported that at least two terror suspects were killed in the police raid, and a third has been arrested. Authorities on the scene haven’t confirmed the kills.
“I heard two explosions and saw two young men run away,” said one local resident, of the raid, The Telegraph reported. “They were between 25 and 30 years of [age] and of Arab origin.”
Another local resident said to local media: “I heard a sort of explosion, followed by several gunshots. For the moment, I cannot tell you any more because I don’t dare go out to see what is happening.”
And a third resident said, The Telegraph reported: “Machine guns were firing for about 10 minutes.”
The newspaper reported that several have been arrested and one Belgian prosecutor said the matter was currently “under control.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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