Man linked to Madrid massacre arrested

2 February 2005

BRUSSELS – Belgian police arrested a Moroccan man in connection with last March’s deadly train bombings in Madrid.

Youssef Belhadj, who was arrested in Belgium for terrorism in March but then released, was taken into custody again on Tuesday afternoon, Belgian prosecutor’s office spokesman Lieve Pellens told EFE.

Spanish authorities had issued an international arrest order for the 28-year-old Belhadj with the objective of gaining his extradition.

Madrid believes Belhadj may be the man who appeared on a videotape a few days after the bombings claiming responsibility for them and saying he was al-Qaeda’s spokesman in Europe.

The bombing of four commuter trains was the deadliest terrorist attack in Spain’s history, killing 191 and wounding more than 1,500.

Belhadj’s capture came after the arrest of four Moroccans – a married couple and their two sons – allegedly linked to the March 11 bombings and to the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, which is believed to have ties to al-Qaeda and was blamed for the May 2003 suicide bombings in Casablanca, Morocco, that killed 33 people.

Spanish authorities have arrested more than 100 suspected Islamic militants since the March attacks, but many have been released for lack of evidence.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news