After the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, it became known that one of the terrorists, Salah Abdeslam, had gotten away. What his motives were for not doing what he was supposed to do (blowing himself up) are still unknown.
Belgian and French police have been busy since November, carrying out raids on houses on which they had intel. In these raids, quite a few people have been arrested, and a few had been killed in firefights (like known ISIS member Abaaoud in a raid last November).
Last Tuesday, Belgian and French forces carried out a raid at a house in a Belgian neighborhood. The suspects opened fire on police. One suspect was killed in the resulting firefight, while two others managed to slip away. All four wounded police officers were discharged from the hospital the next day.
In the house they raided, forensic teams found signs of the fugitive Abdeslam having been present there.
Today, police forces carried out another raid on another house. In the resulting firefight, they wounded and captured Abdeslam, along with two others. Whether these two others are the ones that managed to slip away on Tuesday is as yet unknown.
I'm really glad to hear this news, and it was a long time coming. The guy managed to hide out in Belgium for 5 months, and who knows what he would have done if not captured. However, I also realize that this is just the tip of a gigantic iceberg. Abdeslam is just one person with ill intentions. When you take into account that Abaaoud claimed to have brought nearly 100 radical Muslims into European borders, this one arrest doesn't mean much.
Regardless, I'm proud of the people that made this happen. And as French president Hollande said, it's finally some good news for those affected by the Paris attacks.
Sources:
Tuesday raid & fugitives
Signs of Abdeslam
Abdeslam captured
Belgian and French police have been busy since November, carrying out raids on houses on which they had intel. In these raids, quite a few people have been arrested, and a few had been killed in firefights (like known ISIS member Abaaoud in a raid last November).
Last Tuesday, Belgian and French forces carried out a raid at a house in a Belgian neighborhood. The suspects opened fire on police. One suspect was killed in the resulting firefight, while two others managed to slip away. All four wounded police officers were discharged from the hospital the next day.
In the house they raided, forensic teams found signs of the fugitive Abdeslam having been present there.
Today, police forces carried out another raid on another house. In the resulting firefight, they wounded and captured Abdeslam, along with two others. Whether these two others are the ones that managed to slip away on Tuesday is as yet unknown.
I'm really glad to hear this news, and it was a long time coming. The guy managed to hide out in Belgium for 5 months, and who knows what he would have done if not captured. However, I also realize that this is just the tip of a gigantic iceberg. Abdeslam is just one person with ill intentions. When you take into account that Abaaoud claimed to have brought nearly 100 radical Muslims into European borders, this one arrest doesn't mean much.
Regardless, I'm proud of the people that made this happen. And as French president Hollande said, it's finally some good news for those affected by the Paris attacks.
Sources:
Tuesday raid & fugitives
Signs of Abdeslam
Abdeslam captured