Brussels attacks: Arrested man in ‘advanced stages’ of attack in France

A Frenchman has been arrested in the “advanced stages” of a plot to attack the country.

Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said there were no links “at this stage” between the plan and the attacks in Paris or Brussels.

Mr Cazeneuve said bomb squads were on site after the raid took place in Argenteuil, on the northern outskirts of the French capital. He said the person arrested was implicated at a “high level” in the plot.

Witnesses said the immediate area had been locked down and residents were unable to return home.

Late last night, it emerged that six people had been arrested as part of anti-terror operations in Schaerbeek a suburb of Brussels. There were reports that three of the suspects were held outside the door of the federal prosecutor’s office.

Earlier yesterday, EU justice ministers promised to step up the fight against terrorism in the wake of the Brussels bombings.

At an emergency meeting in the Belgian capital last night — minutes from the site of the Maelbeek metro explosion — ministers agreed to share more information between their police and security services to help avert another terror attack.

Ministers agreed to adopt rules on air passenger data, step up identity checks at the EU borders, reduce terrorists’ access to weapons and financing, and gain access to intelligence from global communications giants such as Viber or Skype.

“There are a lot of initiatives under way but it is about increased urgency, determination, and motivation to work together,” said Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

“I found the mood very sad today, but united, very determined.”

The meeting took place as more detail emerged about the only named architects of the Brussels attacks, the El Bakraoui brothers.

Belgian authorities said the perpetrator of the Maelbeek metro bombings, Khalid El Bakraoui, was suspected of having rented one of the houses that served as a hideout for the Paris attackers, and that a warrant for his arrest had been issued last December.

His brother, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, was arrested near the Turkish-Syrian border last year on suspicion of being a foreign fighter, and was extradited back to Belgium via the Netherlands, without the knowledge of the Belgian authorities.

The developments led Mr Geens and interior minister Jan Jambon to hand in their respective resignations, both of which were refused by the prime minister.

Meanwhile, Salah Abdeslam, who is in custody in Belgium and accused of participation in November’s Paris attacks, has asked to be extradited back to France.

Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels.