2016 Brussels police raids

On 15 and 18 March 2016, law enforcement authorities in Brussels executed operations connected to the November 2015 Paris attacks. During these actions, one individual was killed, and five were detained, including Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving participant from the attack team.

15 March

Acting on intelligence indicating that Khalid El Bakraoui, a suspect wanted in relation to the Paris assaults, had leased an apartment in Forest, Belgium under an alias, police targeted a residence there. The property had been without utilities for approximately two weeks, leading officials to believe it was unoccupied. A team comprising four Belgian and two French officers conducted what was intended as a standard search but encountered gunfire upon arrival. Three officers—two Belgian and one French—sustained injuries, prompting a tactical withdrawal until backup arrived. While a gunman engaged from the front entrance, two men fled through a rear window; another officer was wounded during this exchange. After a standoff lasting three hours, a sniper neutralized the armed assailant.

The deceased was identified as Mohamed Belkaid, an Algerian national affiliated with IS who had previously resided in Sweden before traveling to Syria in 2014. Inside the apartment, authorities discovered an IS flag along with ammunition and detonators, indicating preparations for a potential attack. One week later, El Bakraoui and four associates from the Brussels terrorist cell executed bombings at both Brussels Airport and the metro system. Additionally, fingerprints and DNA evidence linked Abdeslam to the flat, suggesting his presence among those who escaped.

18 March

Following his escape from Rue du Dries, Abdeslam reached out to his second cousin Abid Aberkane, who provided refuge for him and another fugitive, Sofien Ayari, at his mother’s apartment on Rue des Quatre-Vents/Vier-Winden-Straat in Molenbeek—close to the Abdeslam family residence. Aberkane was already under police surveillance, which led authorities to their location. On 18 March, law enforcement surrounded the building and ordered all occupants to exit. Abdeslam attempted to flee but was shot in the leg and taken into custody. Ayari was also captured with injuries sustained during the incident. Both men faced charges including terrorist murder participation and membership in a terrorist organization. Aberkane, along with his wife and mother, were detained; however, his mother was later released without charges.

Reactions

In response to the arrests, French President François Hollande described capturing Abdeslam as "a significant milestone," while Prime Minister Manuel Valls stressed the importance of continuing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks throughout Europe.

Trials

On 5 February 2018 at Brussels’ Palace of Justice, Abdeslam and Ayari were tried for attempted murder related to the Forest shootout. Both were found guilty and received 20-year prison sentences on 23 April 2018, aligning with prosecutorial demands.

In September 2021, they appeared alongside eighteen others for trial concerning their involvement in the Paris attacks. Abdeslam was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole; Ayari received a 30-year term. In December 2023, they faced trial once more in Brussels with eight additional defendants over the Brussels bombings.

Abid Aberkane underwent trial in Brussels in 2022 and was handed a suspended sentence of three years for harboring Abdeslam.

See also

• 2015 Saint-Denis raid
• Brussels lockdown
• January 2015 anti-terrorism operations in Belgium