IANS
Brussels, April 10
The original plan of the Brussels attackers was to strike in France again, but they decided in a hurry to launch attacks in the Belgian capital, the Belgian prosecutor said on Sunday.
“According to several elements of the investigation, the goal of the terrorist group was to strike France and it’s taken aback because the investigation strode, so they finally decided in the emergency to hit Brussels,” Xinhua quoted the prosecutor as saying in a statement.
Mohamed Abrini, who was arrested in the Belgian capital on Friday in relation with the Brussels and Paris attacks, made these statements to investigators.
“The instruction judge specialised in terrorism has placed Mohamed Abrini under arrest in the file relating to the Brussels attacks,” said the prosecutor.
Abrini is one of six men arrested on Friday. Four others have been charged with terror offences.
He is charged with participating in “a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempted terrorist murder”, the statement said.
Abrini confessed to being “the man in the hat”, the third member of the group that attacked the Brussels airport on March 22, the prosecutor confirmed on Saturday.
At least 130 people were killed and over 250 injured in the Paris attacks on November 13, 2015, while 34 people were killed in the attacks in Brussels on March 22.
The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility of both the attacks.
