Agencies
Brussels, June 10: Belgian police investigating the Brussels airport and metro attacks have arrested a man in connection with “terrorist murders”, the federal prosecutor said Friday. The 31-year-old man, identified only as Ali E H A, was detained Thursday during a house search in the Schaerbeek area of the capital, the prosecutor’s office said. Several people have previously been charged over the March 22 suicide bombings at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek metro station which killed 32 people. “In connection with the federal investigation after the terrorist attacks in Zaventem and Brussels, a house search was conducted,” the statement said.
“The Belgian national Ali E H A, born 23rd September 1984, was arrested and later put in detention by the Investigating Judge for participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempted terrorist murders, as a perpetrator, co-perpetrator or accomplice.” It added: “Currently, no further information will be given in the interest of the investigation.” The announcement comes a day after a Belgian court approved the extradition to France of Mohamed Abrini, a key suspect in both the Brussels attacks and the November Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed. He will not be handed over to French authorities for some time as he is still being investigated over the Belgium attacks.
IS made $1 bn in revenue
Washington: The Islamic State (IS) terror group made nearly $1 billion in total revenue last year, half of which came from the sale of oil, and earned as much $50 million per year by extortion, a top US Treasury Department official has said. ISIL’s sources of income include oil and gas sales, extortion and taxation, external donations, kidnapping-for-ransom, and previously, bank looting, Daniel Glaser, the Treasury’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing said. “We estimate that in 2015, ISIL made approximately $1 billion dollars in total revenue, $500 million of which came from the sale of oil, primarily through population under its control,” Glaser said, using an acronym for Islamic State.