Belgium charges suspect with Paris terror offences

Belgium has filed terror charges against a third suspect relating to the Paris attacks.

In a statement tonight, the prosecutor’s office said “the person that was arrested yesterday has been charged by the investigating judge with participation in terrorist attacks and participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, and placed into custody.”

Two other suspects are already behind bars facing similar charges.

The charges came after France’s Senate voted to extend a state of emergency for three months after last Friday’s deadly attacks. The state of emergency expands police powers to carry out arrests and searches and allows authorities to forbid the movement of persons and vehicles at specific times and places.

The body of Belgian extremist Abaaoud, 27, was found in the building targeted on Wednesday and was identified based on skin samples, the prosecutor’s office said. Abaaoud ended up near Paris after reportedly being in Syria but officials have not said how he managed to travel across so many borders to the French capital. Authorities have not detailed his exact whereabouts or actions during the deadly rampage. Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said France did not know before last week’s deadly attacks that Abaaoud was in Europe, but said he was believed to be behind four of six attacks thwarted since spring by French authorities.