Police in Belgium have carried out nearly two dozen raids across the greater Brussels area and in Charleroi, resulting in the arrests of 16 people, though the suspect sought in connection with the Paris attacks is not among them.
Nineteen of the raids took place in the Brussels area, including Molenbeek, Anderlecht, Jette, Schaarbeek, Vorst, and Sint-Stevens-Woluwe. Three additional raids were carried out in the Charleroi area, which is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Brussels.
At a news conference early on Monday morning, authorities confirmed that Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam was not among those detained.
Details about the 16 people who were arrested were not immediately released. Those arrested are expected to appear in front of a judge later on Monday. No weapons or explosives were found.
During one search in Molenbeek, a car at a snackbar approached police, causing officers to open fire. The driver was injured and taken into custody, but it is unknown if the arrest is linked to the terror threat.
Officials, who refused to take any questions, did not release any further details and said the investigations were ongoing. The press conference did not address a Belgian newspaper report that claimed Abdeslam had been sighted near the city of Liège.
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