Belgium premier’s residence, office found on bomber’s laptop

BRUSSELS — A laptop used by one of the Brussels bombers contained images of the Belgian prime minister’s home and office, an official said Wednesday, heightening fears after last week’s attacks on the airport and subway system.

A government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said that “it is alarming that they were apparently scouting the terrain” around the lush Royal Park where both his office, “Le 16,” and his Lambermont residence are located.

In Paris, authorities filed preliminary terrorism charges Wednesday against a 34-year-old Frenchman for allegedly plotting an imminent attack and operating an explosives arsenal of what prosecutors called an “unprecedented scale.”

“Its most important results are that it showed the fragility of the security systems of the European states that claim they are the strongest in the world, and this was through the type of operation, its timing, its place, and the circumstances surrounding it, and the nature of those who executed it,” the material said, according to a translation Wednesday by the SITE Intelligence Group.

[...] Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins said Wednesday that Frenchman Reda Kriket is accused of participating in a terrorist group with plans for at least one attack, possessing and transporting arms and explosives, and holding fake documents, among other charges.