Belgium’s anti-terrorist agency on Tuesday said 650 people believed to have extremist ties, including jihadists, are under surveillance in the country.
Belgian officials say they are doing everything to prevent attacks after at least 139 people were killed in a massacre at a Moscow-area concert hall claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS).
The country was badly shaken by ISIS bombings in 2016 and its most recent incident of jihadist violence came last October when a Tunisian gunman killed two Swedes in an attack claimed by the militant group.
The 650 individuals are on a list all security forces can access, and 88 percent “follow a jihadist ideology,” Ocam agency said.
Nine percent and two percent of the individuals are on the surveillance list due to far-right and extreme-left links. One percent represent “various threats” that are anti-elite or connected to political strife abroad.
There are 426 individuals identified as “foreign terrorist fighters,” people who traveled or attempted to travel to a conflict zone to rally a terrorist movement.
Belgium’s terror level remains high at three, one below the highest, which indicates there is a “serious” but not “very serious” risk of an attack.
The 650 figure for 2023 represents a seven percent drop compared to 2022.
