Footage showed Abdeslam (pictured, in a white hoodie) being dragged away from the scene by armed police officers
Salah Abdeslam shot in the leg and captured alive by police commandos
He and four other suspects were arrested in siege, prosecutor confirmed
Salah Abdeslam shot in the leg and captured alive by police commandos
He and four other suspects were arrested in siege, prosecutor confirmed
Incredible images show one of the prime
suspects behind the Paris terror attacks being wrestled to the ground
by armed police following a raid on his Belgian hideout.
Salah Abdeslam, 26, was among the ISIS
terror cell that massacred 130 at a rock concert, a football stadium
and several cafes in November.
After evading French and Belgian
authorities for four months, he was today arrested during a siege on
his bolthole in the run down Molenbeek district of Brussels.
Separate
footage showed Abdeslam (highlighted) trying to flee his hideout past
dozens of armed police officers who shot and detained him
Gun
shots and explosions were heard while white smoke was seen in the area
as police moved in on Abdeslam, who had been on the run for 126 days
TV
cameras captured a series of explosions (pictured) in the Molenbeek neighborhood where Abdeslam was captured, after he had already been
taken away
He was one of five suspects, including three that helped hide him from the police, to be arrested today, a French prosecutor has confirmed. He said numerous weapons and ammunition were discovered inside the besieged building.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel
hailed the arrests as a 'success in the fight against terrorism' but
serious questions will be asked as to how Abdeslam evaded the
authorities for so long.
He managed to evade capture for 126 days due to a series of blunders by the police, who have repeatedly raided the Brussels suburbs where he grew up.
Officers pulled him over on the night
of the attacks on November 13, but released him because he was yet to
be identified as a suspect.
Just 48 hours later, Belgian police
failed to raid a house he was thought to be hiding because of a law
prohibiting night time searches.
And on Tuesday, he escaped through a
skylight as police stormed a flat in the Forest neighborhood in
Brussels where his fingerprints were later discovered.
Salah
Abdeslam (left), one of the most wanted men in Europe, has been
wounded and caught by police (right, an officer at the scene of the
raid)
Abdeslam was one of five suspects, including three that helped hide him from the police, to be arrested today
Abdeslam managed to evade capture for 126 days due to a series of blunders by the police (pictured in Molenbeek today)
Police stand guard near a scene of a police operation in the Molenbeek after five suspects were arrested
Belgian
police outside of Saint-Pierre hospital where Belgium media report
fugitive terror suspect Salah Abdeslam could be kept by police
French
President Francois Hollande (right, with Belgian Prime Minister
Charles Michel) confirmed that Abdeslam and two other suspects,
described as his accomplices, were arrested today
Michel held a joint press conference
with French President Francois Hollande who stressed the battle against
extremism in western Europe is far from over.
We have to go on with our efforts
because we are aware there are still connections that lead us to Syria,
where the Daesh [ISIS] group wanted these attacks [in Paris] to be
organised
French President Francois Hollande
He said: 'It is not the final conclusion of this story because there have been arrests already and there will have to be more.
'We know the terrorists' network was widespread in Belgium, France, and other countries in Europe, too.
'Until we have arrested all of those
who took part, organised and financed the network that carried out the
abominable attacks in Paris, our fight will not be over.
'We have to go on with our efforts
because we are aware there are still connections that lead us to Syria,
where the Daesh [ISIS] group wanted these attacks to be organised.
'It is from Syria that a number of these actors of this atrocity [Paris attacks] started.'
Hollande confirmed he has asked for
Belgium to extradite Abdeslam to his country, adding: I'm certain of
the extradition procedures and I believe he [Abdeslam] should be
interrogated and punished in France.'
Belgian security forces seal off an area during an anti-terror operation in the Molenbeek neighborhood tonight
Locals appear to be gesturing angrily at the police who sealed off a Molenbeek neighbourhood where Abdeslam was arrested
After
the arrest, French President Francois Hollande stressed the battle
against extremism in western Europe is far from over (pictured, police
with dogs at the scene)
'We
got him,' France's minister for asylum and migration Theo Francken
triumphantly announced as a video of Abdeslam being dragged away by
police emerged.
Police
with riot shields cordoned off the area where Abdeslam was arrested and
began evacuating locals earlier tonight. They are thought to have continued their operation following his capture.
TV cameras filmed a series of
explosions and the sound of fresh gunfire in the area at around 6.20pm,
more than two hours after the arrest, as police continued to search
for suspects after Abdeslam war arrested.
After escaping another besieged flat on
Tuesday, he was tracked to a home in Molenbeek this afternoon. Special
forces are understood to have been monitoring the house for at least
48 hours.
It is understood grenades were used in the operation, which unfolded at about 4.30pm.
Gun shots and explosions were heard
while white smoke was seen in the area as police moved in on Abdeslam,
who had been on the run for 126 days.
Emergency services were quick to arrive at the scene which was shut down by officers wearing heavy riot gear.
Gun
shots and explosions were heard while white smoke was seen in the area
as police moved in on Abdeslam (officers at the scene during the
operation)
The police operation in the run down Brussels suburb of Molenbeek continued after Abdeslam's arrest
Policemen and dogs block a road near the scene of a police raid in the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean district in Brussels,
TV cameras filmed a series of explosions and the sound of fresh gunfire in the area at around 6.20pm
Police are continuing to search a nearby area for a third suspect who may have been wounded in today's raid
Abdeslam was wounded, and then
retreated into a house in Molenbeek with two men. At least one of the
other men is wounded, and one may be dead, said the source.
He and another wounded suspect were
taken to the city’s Saint Pierre Hospital which was last night sealed
off behind a security perimeter.
A lawyer for the families of those who
lost their lives in the Paris massacre have demanded that he is
extradited to France immediately.
Mr Michel was seen rushing out of a European Council summit in Brussels as news of the raid broke.
EU leaders are meeting in the Belgian
capital, just five miles from where the anti-terror operation was
taking place in Molenbeek.
Francois Hollande, who is in Brussels
for the EU summit, confirmed that today's police operation was linked
to last November's attacks on Paris.
Despite Abdeslam's arrest, the police
operation was continuing this evening and the army is on the scene,
which is near two schools.
Masked policemen began evacuating locals after the siege on the extremist hideout in Molenbeek
Special operations police evacuate people from an area during a police raid in the Molenbeek
Photo: AP
Locals in Molenbeek were led away from the scene of the siege as an operation to find a third suspect went on into the evening
Police officers guard an entrance of a school during a raid in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels
Salah
Abdeslam was shot in the leg by police commandos and has been arrested
in the district of Molenbeek (pictured) in the Belgian capital
Two men are still believed to be holed up in a building in the area and drones are being used as part of the police operation.
Fire engines and ambulances were seen
driving into the gated complex, which remains under armed police guard,
and a helicopter hovered overhead.
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.
The building is owned by the local
municipality. The flat where he was arrested is believed to have been
rented by the same person since 2009, according to RTBF.
Criminal lawyer Sven Mary is said to have accepted the role of defending Abdeslam.
He was contacted on Abdeslam's behalf
as early as January this year, asking whether he would be willing to
defend the terror suspect, it has been reported.
It came after the Belgian lawyer told
daily newspaper Le Soir in late December: 'If Salah Abdeslam begged me
tomorrow, I would accept the role of being his lawyer.'
Two
men are still believed to be holed up in a building in the area and
drones are being used as part of the police operation (pictured, police
at the scene)
Belgian policemen stand guard in a street during a police action in the Molenbeek district of Brussels
Abdeslam's
fingerprints were found at the scene of another police raid on a
Brussels flat on Tuesday (pictured, police and emergency services at
the siege today)
Emergency services were quick to arrive at the scene, which was shut down by officers wearing heavy riot gear
But the lawyer denied claims that he has already discussed the possibility with Abdeslam himself.
'I have been in contact with someone from his immediate surroundings,' the lawyer said, reported Belgian news site Standaard.
'I want to speak directly with
Abdeslam. You must have some sort of contact with the ones you defend,
there should be a mutual trust.'
This afternoon, the White House
revealed that the US had been helping French and Belgian authorities to
boost security since November's Paris attacks, and that this would
continue.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said
the White House used its 'significant resources and significant
capabilities' to assist the French and the Belgians.
He added: 'They have taken steps to try
to safeguard their country. We're going to continue to stay in close
touch with them on this.'
Salah's brother Brahim, who blew himself p in the November Paris attacks, was buried on Thursday in a Brussels cemetery.
A third man is thought to be holed up in a building in the area and drones are being used as part of the police operation
Police at the scene of a security operation in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek in Brussels, Belgium
Salah's
brother Brahim, who died in the November Paris attacks which left 130
people dead, was buried Thursday in a Brussels cemetery
Referring to the police operation
earlier this week, in which one Islamic gunman was shot dead by a
police sniper, Belgian public broadcaster RTBF had said this morning:
'According to our information, it is more than likely that he is one of
the two individuals who escaped during the shootout.'
It was not the first time Abdeslam had evaded police.
It is believed he stayed in Schaerbeek,
Belgium, for some weeks following the attacks in the French capital
before being tracked down by police today.
Eric Van der Sypt said the fugitive may have been at the property for 'days, weeks or months'.
Surveillance footage at a petrol station showed him returning by car to Belgium a day after the Paris attacks.
He also avoided capture when French
police checked his papers shortly before he was listed as wanted.
Authorities had been searching for him ever since.
Abdeslam was thought to have been the
logistic coordinator who rented cars and equipped the gunmen and
suicide bombers who targeted bars, restaurants and a music hall in
Paris and may have taken part himself.
Police operation: The raid happened at this building which is close to two schools in Molenbeek, Brussels
Police
secure an area during a police raid. Despite Abdeslam's arrest, the
police operation was continuing this evening and the army is on the
scene
Last month a source close to the French
inquiry said no DNA from Abdeslam had been found on a suicide belt
discovered in the French capital.
The explosive belt was found in a dustbin in the southern Parisian suburb of Montrouge on November 23.
Telephone data placed Abdeslam in the
same area just after the attacks - but the lack of DNA on the belt
suggested that he had not worn it.
Since mid-November, 11 people have been
arrested and charged in Belgium in connection with the killings, with
eight remaining in custody.
Meanwhile, it was revealed today that
an Algerian killed during the anti-terror raid in Brussels earlier this
week is on a list of ISIS fighters leaked last week.
The 35-year-old Algerian identified as
Mohamed Belkaid, who was living illegally in Belgium, had volunteered
to commit a suicide bomb attack, according to the Dutch speaking TV
channel VRT.
Belgium's federal prosecutor declined to comment on the report.
Salah
Abdeslam was shot in the leg by police commandos and has been captured
alive in the district of Molenbeek in the Belgian capital
Raid: Abdeslam has now been wounded and captured in a fresh raid conducted by police this afternoon
Gun
shots and explosions were heard while white smoke was seen in the area
as police moved in on Abdeslam, who had been on the run for 126 days
Sky News last week claimed to have obtained documents containing the names of 22,000 members of ISIS.
According to the VRT report, Belkaid
fought in Syria from April 19, 2014 alongside the ISIS jihadists. He
went by the nom de guerre Abou Abdel Aziz al-Jazayri (the Algerian).
After his return from Syria, he is believed to have passed through Sweden, the TV channel added.
Belkaid was killed by a police sniper
while trying to shoot at police during a chaotic gun battle on Tuesday
in the quiet Forest district in southern Brussels.
Next to his body were found an IS flag, a Kalashnikov and a book on Salafism, an extreme form of Islam, investigators said.
Belkaid had been unknown to Belgian authorities except for a case of minor theft in 2014, authorities said.
How Salah Abdeslam became the world's most wanted man after Paris massacre - but escaped the clutches of police three times
Salah Abdeslam became the world's most wanted man after the Paris attacks in November last year.
The 26-year-old is a Belgian-born Morocco-Frenchman and grew up in the Belgian town of Molenbeek.
He worked for two years as a railway mechanic and in the family business including at a bar set up by his brother Brahim.
Salah
Abdeslam and suspected accomplice, Hamza Attou, are seen at a petrol
station on a motorway between Paris and Brussels, in Trith-Saint-Leger,
France on November 14, 2015
Abeslam was reportedly childhood
friends with Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the man dubbed as the 'Belgian'
mastermind of the Paris attacks.
The pair spent time in jail for armed robbery and it is there that it is believed they became radicalised.
When his brother Brahim tried to travel to Syria, he was stopped and Abdeslam was questioned by police.
Belgian prosecutors later admitted they knew he had been radicalised but didn't flag them up as a security threat to France.
For his part in the attacks on Paris,
which killed 130, Abdeslam is thought to have rented the cars, the
attackers used to drive to the various locations to gun people down.
The
November 13 attacks in Paris saw ISIS jihadists kill 130 people and
injure 352 in a series of shootings and bombings in the French capital
Gunmen massacred 90 people when they opened fire in the Bataclan music theatre in Paris during a packed out concert
He was described as being the logistics manager and also organised hotels, flats and ammunition.
On the night if the attacks, he was caught on CCTV outside a cafe that was targeted.
His brother Brahim blew himself up outside the Comptoir Voltaire brasserie in the 11th arrondissement
Later, officers pulled over Abdelsam on
Saturday morning on the A2 motorway between Paris and Brussels but
checked his ID and let him go.
He was travelling with two other
people, just hours after he abandoned a car containing three
Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles on the outskirts of the French
capital.
Salah Abdeslam became the world's most wanted man after the Paris attacks in November last year
Detectives soon realised their blunder
when they discovered that Abdeslam had rented VW Polo abandoned near
the scene of the massacre inside the Bataclan theatre.
However, by the time they alerted
Belgian authorities the terror suspect had abandoned the car in
Molenbeek, Brussels, an area known as the 'jihadi capital of Europe'
and disappeared.
An international manhunt was launched.
In the days after the attacks, Belgian
security forces staged several raids in the Molenbeek district of
Brussels, where he lived, which has served as a haven for several
jihadists in recent decades.
But there was no sign of him and he remained on the run for over four months.
It is believed he stayed in Schaerbeek,
Belgium, for some weeks following the attacks in the French capital
before being tracked down by police today
Eric Van der Sypt said the fugitive may have been at the property for 'days, weeks or months'.
Surveillance footage at a petrol station showed him returning by car to Belgium a day after the Paris attacks.
He also avoided capture when French
police checked his papers shortly before he was listed as wanted.
Authorities have been searching for him ever since.
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