Mayor says five arrested in Brussels raids linked to Paris attack

Reuters

Belgian police detaining a suspect during a raid in the Molenbeek quarter of Brussels in this still image taken from video made available on November 15, 2015. Belgian police arrested three people on Saturday (November 14) in raids in a poor, immigrant quarter of Brussels as they pursued emerging links between the Paris attacks and an Islamist bastion in France's northern neighbour.

Prosecutors said a car found near the concert venue in Paris, where the deadliest attack was carried out on Friday, had been hired in Belgium.

Belgian authorities have arrested five people during house searches in Brussels in connection with the deadly Paris attacks, a local official said on Sunday, but prosecutors did not confirm the number.

"There have been five arrests made linked to the attacks in Paris," said Francoise Schepmans, mayor of the Molenbeek district of Brussels where police carried out a series of raids on Saturday.

Prosecutors and government officials said they could not confirm the number of arrests, having said late on Saturday that the number of people detained was at least three.

French and Belgian prosecutors said a car found near the concert venue in Paris, where the deadliest attack was carried out on Friday, had been hired in Belgium.

Keywords: Brussels raids, linked to Paris attack, five arrested, Francoise Schepmans, Molenbeek district of Brussels, France, Belgian