“The imam did, in fact, stay in Belgium, but he was not known to the judicial authorities.” Thierry Werts — Spokesman of the Office of the Public Prosecutor

According to the Belgium’s Office of the Public Prosecutor, there is no link between Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty and the attacks perpetrated on 22 March 2016, in Brussels. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

On Thursday 16:50 (14:50 GMT), a white Fiat van drives down Las Ramblas in central Barcelona, killing 13 people and injuring scores. A few hours later, a second vehicle attack took place in Cambrils. All 15 victims have been identified and their families notified.

Marc Trévidic — A former French anti-terrorism judge — has made a few cryptic comments about a possible link between Islamic terrorists in Belgium and Spain.

The Spanish authorities consider Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty as the architect of the terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils.

Police have confirmed that Abdelbaki Es Satty — suspected of radicalizing the 12 young men who carried out the attacks — died in an explosion on Wednesday at a house in Alcanar, south of Barcelona.

The Belgian Federal Office confirmed that an investigation had been launched in the wake of the Barcelona attack, but its focus is the Belgian victim of the attack.

“The aim is to facilitate cooperation and the exchange of information on the victims with the Spanish judicial authorities,” the spokesman of the Office of the Public Prosecutor, Thierry Werts, explained.

Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty stayed in Vilvoorde — seven miles north of Brussels, Belgium — from January to March 2016.

“Abdelbaki Es Satty was appointed as an imam in Ripoll despite having a conviction for drug smuggling. He had also fallen under suspicion during an investigation into attempts to recruit local youths to fight for Islamic State.” [Guardian]

Spain Anti-terrorism detectives were attempting to establish whether the Barcelona cell had any links with the terrorists responsible for the Paris attacks of November 2015 and the March 2016 bombings in Brussels.

Barcelona attack prime suspect shot dead by police

Catalan police confirmed the shooting death of Younes Abouyaaqoub, the main suspect in the Barcelona attacks in which 14 people died and over 100 were injured.

REFERENCES

Barcelona attack: suspected van driver shot dead by police — Guardian

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BELGIUM: No Link between Barcelona Imam and Brussels Attacks