French police deny reports of arresting the mastermind behind the Paris terrorist attacks.
(Baonghean) – On November 16th, conflicting information emerged regarding the arrest of a man named Abdeslam Salah in Brussels, suspected of being the mastermind behind the attack on the evening of November 13th. According to Le Monde, a judicial source has denied this information.
On the afternoon of November 16th, Belgian special forces announced the arrest of Abdeslam Salah in Molenbeek. However, according to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, this is not the French national born in 1989 whom French police issued a search warrant for on Sunday, November 15th.
The large-scale manhunt by Belgian police just ended at 7:58 PM (Vietnam time) in Belgium, with last-minute confirmation that police have not yet apprehended Abdeslam Salah.
A judicial source contacted by Le Monde said that Abdeslam Salah was the owner of the Polo car that the terrorists used to get to the Bataclan music venue.
The alleged mastermind behind the attack is Abaaoud Abdelhamid – a Belgian jihadist who joined ISIS in early 2013, and whom investigators have confirmed was definitely involved directly or indirectly in the November 13th attacks in Paris.
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| Abdelhamid Abaaoud – believed to be the mastermind behind numerous terrorist attacks targeting France – is the person currently wanted. (Image: Internet) |
Abaaoud Abdelhamid remains at large while his brother carried out a suicide bombing at the Comptoir Voltaire bar. It is believed that Abaaoud Abdelhamid is closely related to Abdeslam Salah. In 2010, both Abaaoud Abdelhamid and his brother were imprisoned in Belgium.
Abaaoud Abdelhamid, born in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Belgium, is a well-known figure among Belgian jihadists due to his frequent activity on social media. For months, French intelligence agencies have been monitoring Abaaoud as he is considered one of the masterminds behind attacks targeting France. These include the attack on the Villejuif church on April 19, 2015, the failed attack on a theater 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)
