Belgian authorities have charged a ninth suspect in connection with the November 13 terror attacks in Paris, federal prosecutors said in a statement Thursday.
The man, identified only as Abdoullah C., a Belgian national born in 1985, was arrested Tuesday in Brussels on charges of "terrorist murders and participation in the activities of a terrorist organization," the statement said. The arrest was kept secret to avoid alerting potential accomplices.
Abdoullah C. is suspected of having contacted a cousin of the alleged organizer of the attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, several times by phone, the statement said. Abaaoud and the cousin, identified as Hasna Ait Boulahcen, were killed in a police raid in Saint Denis, France, days after the attacks.
Arrested Monday
Police in Belgium detained five people, including two brothers, during raids on Monday connected to the Paris attacks.
Authorities did not identify any of those detained and say they found no explosives or weapons in either raid.
The November 13 attacks in Paris left 130 people dead and more than 300 injured.
