Paris attacks fugitive arrested in Belgium

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Paris attacks fugitive arrested in Belgium
Armed police officers during a raid in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels, Belgium; 26-year old Salah Abdeslam

Brussels - Abdeslam, 26, was among the attackers who killed 130 people at a rock concert, the national stadium and cafes in Paris.

By AP

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Published: Fri 18 Mar 2016, 8:48 PM

Last updated: Sat 19 Mar 2016, 1:02 AM

The main fugitive from the attacks in Paris in November, Salah Abdeslam, has been arrested in Belgium's capital after four months at large, French police officials said on Friday.
The officials told The Associated Press that he was arrested Friday in a major police operation in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek.
Both officials are in contact with people involved in the operation and spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing operation.
Abdeslam, 26, was among the attackers who killed 130 people at a rock concert, the national stadium and cafes on November 13 in Paris.
In addition to Abdeslam, the whereabouts of two Paris attack suspects remains unknown, including fellow Molenbeek resident Mohamed Abrini and a man known under the alias of Soufiane Kayal.
Friday's caputure of Abdeslam comes after Belgian authorities say they found his fingerprints in an apartment raided earlier this week in another Brussels neighborhood.
In that raid, a man believed to have been an accomplice of Abdeslam - Mohamed Belkaid - was shot dead, Belgian prosecutors say. But two men escaped from the apartment, one of whom appears to have been Abdeslam.
Federal prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt said it was possible Abdeslam had spent "days, weeks or months," in the apartment.
Abdeslam fled Paris after the attacks. Most of the Paris attackers died that night, including Abdeslam's brother Brahim, who blew himself up. Brahim Abdeslam was buried in the area Thursday.
Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam, a childhood friend of suspected ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is believed to have driven a group of gunmen who took part.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attacks, in which Belgian nationals played key roles.


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