Several arrests made in Belgium, authorities say they are tied to Paris attacks

Brussels: Belgium's justice minister on Saturday said that authorities have made several arrests linked to the deadly attacks in Paris.

Minister Koen Geens told the VRT network that the arrests came after a car with Belgian license plates was seen close to the Bataclan theater in Paris on Friday night, one of the places where victims were killed.

He said it was a rental vehicle and police organized several raids in the St. Jans Molenbeek neighborhood in Brussels on Saturday.
Geens said "there were arrests relating to the search of the vehicle and person who rented it." He said the number of arrests was "more than one."

Belgian media reported police searches and at least one arrest connected to the Paris attacks in the St. Jans Molenbeek neighbourhood.

Also Read: Paris attacks: One terrorist identified as French national, Syrian passport found on another

RTBF broadcasting said its reporters observed heavily armed police teams in the western district of Belgium's capital on Saturday afternoon and that two or three searches had taken place. It said a man was arrested.

No official confirmation or additional information was immediately available. Molenbeek is home to a large community of immigrants from Morocco and Turkey.

A 51-year-old man was arrested in Germany last week with weapons in his car may be linked to the Paris attacks, the governor of Bavaria said Saturday.

A spokesman for Bavarian state police confirmed earlier Saturday that firearms, explosives and hand grenades were found when police stopped a man near the German-Austrian border on Nov. 5.

One attacker involved in the Bataclan theatre shooting and hostage-taking on Friday night has been identified as a French national through finger prints, French TV BFMTV reported Saturday, citing a police source.

Meanwhile, one Syrian and one Egyptian passport were found next to French national stadium Stade de France where at least two explosions went off.

Verification is being done to cross-check the information on those two IDs.

A Greek official said that the terrorist whose Syrian passport was found at the scene crossed into the European Union through the Greek island of Leros in October.

Paris was rocked by a wave of attacks on Friday that has so far claimed at least 127 lives. Terrorist group Islamic State has claimed the responsibility for a coordinated assault by gunmen and bombers across the French capital.

(With inputs from AP)

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