Belgium deploys troops after foiling ‘terror’ plot

Up to 300 soldiers may be deployed in the country; Afghan president slams Charlie Hebdo

BRUSSELS/ KABUL: Belgium on Saturday began deploying scores of troops to patrol the streets after security forces smashed a suspected ‘terrorist’ cell planning to kill police officers.

Some 150 soldiers took up positions in Antwerp, notably to protect diamond jewellers and a large concentration of Orthodox Jews. The Nato headquarters, various EU offices and the US and Israeli embassies are also in the area, as well as Brussels’ main synagogue, said Defence Minister Steven Vandeput.

“The mobilised troops will be armed and their primary responsibility will be to survey certain sites” and to reinforce police, Prime Minister Charles Michel’s office said in a statement.

Up to 300 troops may be deployed in the biggest operation since the terrorist bombings carried out by the Communist Combatant Cells of the mid-1980s.

Soldiers have also been requested at the city of Verviers, where early on Friday security forces killed two suspected terrorists in a huge raid on an alleged jihadist cell allegedly planning to attack police in the country.

Following the raid in Verviers, Belgian police arrested 13 people across Belgium, five of whom were later charged with “participating in the activities of a terrorist group.” Weapons, bomb-making materials, police uniforms and fake documents were found during searches of their homes.

Charlie Hebdo cartoons ‘an insult to Islam’: Ghani

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday condemned the decision by French magazine Charlie Hebdo for insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ghani blasted the cartoon as “an insult to the sacred religion of Islam and the Muslim world”, a statement from the presidential palace said.

“President Ghani on behalf of the Afghan nation condemns this insulting act, and termed it desecrating the religious values,” the palace said, describing the magazine’s decision to publish it as ‘irresponsible’.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2015.