- Title: Police raid house in Molenbeek after abortive Brussels bomb attack
- Date: 21st June 2017
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (JUNE 21, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF HOUSE RAIDED BY POLICE, POLICE VAN BOMB DISPOSAL UNIT VAN POLICE AND FORENSIC OFFICERS NEAR VAN JOURNALISTS POLICE OFFICER POLICE AND FORENSIC OFFICERS PUTTING BOXES IN VAN (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN-MOROCCAN MOLENBEEK RESIDENT LIVING NEAR HOUSE THAT WAS RAIDED AND MOTHER OF TWO WORKING IN BANK, JAMILA, SAYING: "Oussama is not an uncommon name, so I've heard the name, but here, in this area, no I don't him. Maybe I've passed him, but these aren't people you would suspect could get to this point. And to be honest, this makes me scared because my children take this street every day to go to school. Luckily it didn't go too far so we are a bit reassured now." VARIOUS OF FORENSIC POLICE LEAVING HOUSE WITH BOXES, STEPPING INTO CAR FORENSIC POLICE CAR LEAVING AREA (SOUNDBITE) (French) CONGOLESE MOLENBEEK RESIDENT WHO LIVES AND WORKS NEXT TO HOUSE THAT WAS RAIDED, ALAIN MOGBONGO, SAYING: "To me it's a good area, there have never been problems. You know that Molenbeek has a very bad reputation at the moment, but for us, Boulevard Mettewie is an area which was the pride of Molenbeek, so what is happening is surprising us." (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOROCCAN MOLENBEEK RESIDENT WHO LIVES IN BUILDING NEXT TO HOUSE THAT WAS RAIDED AND DID NOT WANT TO SHOW HER FACE, MS EL OUADGHIRI, SAYING: "The police broke the door, and then came up into where we live because I have a little window, and afterwards I don't know what happened because I wasn't there. I came back just now and I found the door like this." VARIOUS OF EL OUADGHIRI'S FORCED ENTRANCE DOOR VARIOUS OF TOP VIEWS ON GARDEN BEHIND HOUSE THAT WAS RAIDED SEEN FROM EL OUADGHIRI'S BATHROOM WINDOW VARIOUS OF POLICEMAN STANDING IN FRONT OF DOOR OF RAIDED HOUSE VARIOUS OF FORENSIC OFFICERS COMING OUT OF HOUSE VARIOUS OF FORENSIC OFFICER PUTTING ITEMS IN VAN EXTERIOR OF HOUSE VARIOUS OF FORENSIC AND POLICE OFFICERS PUTTING ITEMS IN VAN FORENSIC VAN LEAVING WOMAN USING SMARTPHONE, WALKING PAST SCENE
- Embargoed: 5th July 2017 12:48
- Keywords: Brussels attack Molenbeek suspect bomber Central Station
- Location: MOLENBEEK DISTRICT, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- City: MOLENBEEK DISTRICT, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Bombing (non-military),Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0016M81NBB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Belgian police continued on Wednesday (June 21) forensic investigations and evidence collection at what was believed to be the home of the failed Brussels Central Station bomber.
The 36-year-old Moroccan citizen, whom public broadcaster VRT named as Oussama Zariouh, set off his bomb on a crowded station concourse below ground at 8:44 p.m. (1844GMT) on Tuesday (June 20) but the attempt failed and no one was injured.
The bomber, who was shot dead by a soldier, lived in the Brussels borough of Molenbeek and had not been suspected of militant links.
Molenbeek, an impoverished borough with a big Moroccan Muslim population, gained notoriety after an Islamic State cell based there mounted suicide attacks on Paris in November 2015 that killed 130 people. Associates of that group attacked Brussels itself four months later, killing 32 people.
Local mother of two Jamila said she was scared after the incident, but Congolese Molenbeek resident Alain Mogbongo told Reuters TV the district was a "good area".
A woman living nearby said police forced open the door of her building during the night to access a window in her bathroom overlooking the garden of the raided house, but she was not at home as she works nights shifts in a cafe.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility and no word on how investigations are progressing into whether the man had acted alone or had help, and into any links to radical groups. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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