Police in the Belgian capital have arrested Salah Abdeslam, who was wanted for his involvement in the Paris attacks. Europe's most wanted fugitive was injured in a shootout during an anti-terror raid, said authorities.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Waem
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Belgian police on Friday arrested Salah Abdeslam, a fugitive wanted for involvement in November's attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead.
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders confirmed the arrest in a tweet.
"The prosecutor's office confirmed the arrest of Salah Abdeslam. Congratulations to the various security services [involved]," said Reynders.
Officials said Abdeslam, a 26-year-old French national, sustained a leg injury during the operation. He was admitted to the Saint Pierre hospital in Brussels, reported Belgian broadcaster RTBF.
Police have yet to confirm how many people were targeted in the operation.
Salah Abdeslam is believed to be one of the drivers who transported militants before the Paris attacksImage: Police Federale Belgien
Abdeslam is believed to be one of the drivers who transported the attackers to the French capital to conduct the attacks, which were claimed by the "Islamic State" militant group.
Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the anti-"Islamic State" coalition, congratulated Belgian authorities on the arrest in a tweet.
"Congratulations to Belgian authorities on capture of ISIL terrorist Saleh Abdeslam. We will never forget his and all ISIL victims," said McGurk, referring to "Islamic State" by an alternative acronym.
The arrest came on the heels of Belgian prosecutors' announcement Friday that the fugitive's fingerprints were discovered in a Brussels apartment following an anti-terror raid earlier this week.
"We can confirm that fingerprints of Salah Abdeslam were found in the apartment in (the Brussels district of) Forest," federal prosecutors spokesman Eric Van Der Sypt told AFP news agency.
Night of terror in Paris
More than 100 people have been killed in multiple terrorist attacks across Paris. World leaders have condemned the violence, expressing their shock and offering solidarity to the French people.
Image: Reuters/C. Hartmann
Coordinated attacks
Police say groups of attackers targeted up to seven different locations across Paris, including a football stadium, a shopping mall, the Bataclan concert hall and restaurants. Authorities say they expect the death toll from the attacks to rise.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Faget
Fear and panic
Wounded people were evacuated from the area outside the Bataclan theater, where suspected jihadists killed at least 100 people in a hostage situation.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Y. Valat
Scene of carnage
Police surrounded the Bataclan, ending the hostage situation at around 1:00 a.m. local time. Witnesses said gunmen shouted "Allahu akbar" as they stormed into the venue and fired methodically at hundreds of concert-goers.
Image: Reuters/C. Hartmann
Stadium targeted
In the north of the city, at least five people were killed in three explosions near the Stade de France national stadium where France were playing Germany in an international football match. Spectators were let out in small groups as a security precaution.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Ena
President in shock
French President Francois Hollande was in the stadium when news of the attacks broke. In a brief address to the nation, he declared a state of emergency across France and said the borders had been sealed.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Marchi
Boosted security
An extra 1,500 soldiers were mobilized to reinforce police in Paris. Authorities have said they believe all attackers involved in the shootings and bombings are dead.
