Brussels terror cell ‘intended to target Euro 2016 in France

From the French edition of The Local

Sources close to the Belgian probe into the terror cell that carried out the Paris and Brussels attacks have told French media that the jihadists were intending to target this summer’s Euro 2016 football championships in France.

Belgian prosecutors revealed at the weekend how the Brussels-based terror cell intended to launch a fresh strike in France, but attacked in the Belgian capital instead after being “surprised” by a quick-moving investigation.

Prosecutors however did not reveal any details about the planned attack on France, but Liberation newspaper claims that Abrini, who was wanted for his suspected role in the Paris attacks, confessed to investigators that Euro 2016 was the real target.

Investigators are trying to verify if there was any truth behind Abrini’s words but a separate report in BFM TV on Monday claimed that a taped conversation between one of the Brussels bombers and a contact in Syria suggested they wanted to hit France in the run up to Euro 2016 in the hope frightened authorities would cancel the tournament. If the claim is true, it will be of deep concern to authorities in France, who are already on high alert and have long feared the tournament may be targeted.

“It’s not really a scoop to learn that the terrorists wanted to strike during the Euros. The security forces are constantly developing attack scenarios and methods to respond,” the police source told Liberation. “If the Abrini statements are correct, it just confirms the fact that Belgium is an operational base that needs to be watched even more intensely”

The paper also claimed that a computer seized in a raid shortly after the Brussels bombings contained information suggesting the attacks were being ordered from Syria.

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