A 23-year-old Palestinian man who reportedly told the Federal Agency for the reception of asylum seekers (Fedasil) that he intends to "die as a martyr by blowing himself up" has now been arrested, La Dernière Heure reports.
The man was arrested in a hotel in the municipality of Anderlecht shortly before 12:30 on Wednesday.
He had applied for asylum in Belgium on 26 September and was due to apply again the following day. However, it transpired that the man did not go to the Fedasil offices on Tuesday and reportedly expressed his desire to die a martyr's death, mentioning that he had learned that his entire family had died in Gaza, Het Laatste Nieuws reported on Tuesday.
Following this statement, the young Palestinian was immediately reported nationwide, triggering a manhunt by all the country's police units. The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed that it had been informed of the incident, but said "no comment will be made."
Just over a week since the Brussels terror attack in which two Swedes lost their lives, the police are taking no chances. Threat level 3, indicating a "serious threat", is currently in force.
