Brussels raid over Paris attacks: Dead gunman was Algerian national

Witnesses in Forest reported a heavy exchange of fire on Tuesday afternoon
Witnesses in Forest reported a heavy exchange of fire on Tuesday afternoon

A terrorism suspect shot dead in a raid in a Brussels suburb on Tuesday has been identified as Algerian national Mohamed Belkaid, officials say.

 

He was killed by snipers while trying to fire at police from an apartment window in the suburb of Forest.Several officers were wounded in the raid. Police are still hunting two suspects who were in the apartment.The raid was linked to an investigation into the jihadist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people last November.The so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group said it carried out the attacks.According to the prosecutors' spokesman, an IS flag was recovered from the apartment raided on Tuesday, along with Salafist (ultra-conservative Islamic) literature and Kalashnikov ammunition.The spokesman told reporters that Belkaid was born in 1980 and had been living in Belgium illegally. He was not known to the authorities except for one case of robbery.

Editor's Comment
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While the political shift brings hope for change, it also places immense pressure on the new administration to deliver on its election promises in the face of serious economic challenges.On another level, newly appointed Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe’s grim assessment of the country’s finances adds urgency to the moment. The budget deficit, expected to be P8.7 billion, is now anticipated to be even higher due to underperforming diamond...

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