Army takes to European streets a day after anti-terror arrests

Belgium on Saturday began deploying hundreds of troops to patrol the streets after security forces smashed a suspected Islamist “terrorist” cell planning to kill police officers. Up to 300 soldiers will be progressively deployed in the capital Brussels and the northern city of Anvers, which has a large Jewish population, Prime Minister Charles Michel’s office said in a statement. The deployment comes after Belgian, French, British and German police interrogated and detained dozens of Islamist suspects on Friday.

Immediately after the attacks in Paris you have seen an increase in polarisation and fear.

Researcher Montasser AlDe’emeh, who is currently studying why young Belgians fight overseas, says the fallout from the Paris attacks makes matters worse

Belgian police arrested 13 people during a series of raids across Belgium, five of whom were later charged with “participating in the activities of a terrorist group”. French police separately arrested 12 people early Friday and questioned them about “possible logistic support” they may have given to the gunmen in the Paris terror attacks. In Germany, police arrested two people following a raid on 12 homes and a mosque. British police, meanwhile, arrested an 18-year old woman at a London airport on Friday on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism and membership of a banned organisation.

World terrorism