French police deny arrest of terrorist mastermind in Paris
(Baonghean) – On November 16, there was much conflicting information surrounding the arrest of a man named Abdeslam Salah in Brussels, who is suspected of being the mastermind behind the attack on the evening of November 13. According to Le Monde, a judicial source denied the information.
On the afternoon of November 16, Belgian special forces announced that they had arrested Abdeslam Salah in Molenbeek. However, according to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, this is not the Frenchman born in 1989 that French police had issued a search warrant for on Sunday, November 15.
The massive manhunt by Belgian police just ended at 19:58 (Vietnam time) in Belgium, with last-minute confirmation that the police have not yet captured Abdeslam Salah.
A judicial source approached by Le Monde said that Abdeslam Salah was the owner of the Polo car that the terrorists used to go to the Bataclan music hall.
The real mastermind behind the attack is believed to be Abaaoud Abdelhamid, a Belgian jihadist who joined IS in early 2013 and has been confirmed by investigators to have been directly or indirectly involved in the attack on the evening of November 13 in Paris.
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| Abdelhamid Abaaoud - believed to be the author of many terrorist attacks targeting France - is the wanted subject. Photo: Internet |
Abaaoud Abdelhamid is still at large, while his brother blew himself up in the Comptoir Voltaire bar. It is believed that Abaaoud Abdelhamid is a close relative of Abdeslam Salah. In 2010, both Abaaoud Abdelhamid and his brother were arrested in Belgium.
Abaaoud Abdelhamid, born in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Belgium, is one of the most "famous" figures in the ranks of jihadists in Belgium because of his frequent activity on social networks. For many months, French intelligence agencies have been keeping an eye on Abaaoud as he is considered one of the authors of attack plans aimed at France. These include the attack on the Villejuif church on April 19, 2015, the failed attack on a karaoke bar on August 11, and most recently the attack on Thalys on August 21.
Abaaoud had contact with Mehdi Nemmouche – the murderer at the Jewish Museum in Brussels on May 24, 2014.
Chu Thanh
(According to Le Monde)
