Nuclear terrorismVideo of Belgian nuclear official found in home of Paris attack suspects
Belgian security agencies confirm that video footage of a high-level Belgian nuclear official was found in a home searched for possible connection of its occupants to the 13 November Paris terrorist attacks. Belgian prosecutors refused to offer any more details of the video, its target, and who took it “for obvious security reasons.”
French and Belgian investigators examining the 13 November Paris terrorist attacks have uncovered video footage – taken by one of the terrorists or one of those who provided them with support - of a senior Belgian nuclear official, a prosecutor has said.
Newsweek reports that the Belgian prosecutor confirmed the existence of “images mentioned by the press this morning [Wednesday]regarding a person linked to the nuclear industry” in reference to a report in the daily La Derniere Heure.
The prosecutors added that the video footage was discovered “as part of seizures made following the Paris attacks,” but he refused to reveal the identity of the individual who filmed the official “for obvious security reasons.”
Since the 13 November attack, the Belgian police has arrested eleven people for involvement in planning the deadly attacks. Two key suspects — Salah Abdeslam and Mohamed Abrini, both from the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels — are still at large. They were initially thought to have escaped in Syria, but Belgian authorities now belived they are still in hiding in Belgium.
Derniere Heurereports that Belgian officials are tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the video of the nuclear official, but informed sources say it was found in a house in the Flanders region.
Newsweeknotes that the Belgian federal agency for nuclear control told reporters that it was important not to reveal the name of the person or the property involved so as “not to endanger the enquiry or nuclear security” or the person involved and their family.
Newspapers reports in Belgium say that the video footage of the nuclear official was captured by a camera hidden in the bushes near his home, and recovered by two suspects who left the area in a vehicle with the lights off.
Sources say it was not clear when the video of the official was taken, so it was not possible to tell whether it was taken before or after the November attacks.
