Brussels (dpa) - Two people arrested after Belgian investigators uncovered plans for New Year‘s Eve terrorist attacks were members of the same motorbike club, local media reported Wednesday.Belgium has been on high alert since the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, as several of the perpetrators had links to the country.Brussels went into security lockdown for several days last month following indications that similar attacks were being planned there.The two arrested individuals, identified by Belgian media as Said S and Mohamed K, were members of the Kamikaze Riders motorbike group, RTBF broadcaster and others reported.Said S was considered the club‘s leader and recruiter and was also known as a radical preacher, according to RTBF.One of the two suspects was found to be in possession of propaganda material from the Islamic State extremist group, as well as materials used for airsoft, a combat simulation activity involving replica firearms, RTBF wrote.Both suspects are from the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht, according to the broadcaster.Prosecutors said Tuesday that they had uncovered plans for terrorist attacks targeting landmarks in the Belgian capital during New Year‘s Eve festivities.Police forces were also a target, notably at a station near the Grand Place in Brussels, local media reported. The central square, one of the city‘s top tourist attractions, is among the sites where people are expected to gather Thursday to mark New Year‘s Eve.The mayor of Brussels, Yvan Mayeur, was expected to announce later Wednesday whether the year-end festivities would still go ahead. He was awaiting a new assessment of the terrorist threat level, RTBF wrote.Belgium‘s coordinating unit for threat analysis, OCAM, has so far maintained the threat level across the country at 3, signalling a serious, but not imminent threat.
