BRUSSELS – Belgian authorities charged two men with terror-related offenses Wednesday following half a dozen raids that were part of an investigation prosecutors said was not linked to past extremist attacks in Paris and Brussels.
The federal prosecutor's office said in a statement that two Belgians were charged with "taking part in the activities of a terrorist group" after the raids in Brussels early Wednesday.
The statement says one of the raids centered on a garage where police found "three Kalashnikovs, about fifteen Kalashnikov magazines, a riot gun, three small firearms with ammunition," police uniforms and detonators.
Another major anti-terror operation was conducted on the outskirts of Lille in northern France, 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Brussels. One man was detained in the joint Belgian-French operation.
Belgium and France are both on high alert since extremist attacks have hit Paris and Brussels over the past few years.
Belgian media said the raids centered on a bikers group, the Kamikaze Riders. Two of the group's members were sentenced on anti-terror charges last year.
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