Belgium on lockdown as cops arrest 16 in raids

Belgians showed their humorous side during a police terror search by posting pictures of cats in various poses, this one with the tag line: “May the force be with you.” (Credit: Twitter)

Law enforcement swept across Belgium overnight, arresting 16 terror suspects and locking down the capital city of Brussels, including the subway system, and telling residents to please refrain from posting alerts about police operations on social media sites.

The prime minister said Monday the raid came on the heels of a “serious and imminent” threat of a terror attack akin to what just occurred in Paris, the New York Times reported. And apparently, the threat’s still alive; law enforcement say the city will remain on lockdown and residents told to keep alert.

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The 16 arrests were made during 19 separate raids in the Brussels region that were conducted after government officials met to discuss some recent intelligence.

“We fear an attack similar to the one in Paris,” said Prime Minister Charles Michel at a news conference, the New York Times reported. “A number of individuals could launch an attack on several locations in Brussels simultaneously.”

Michel didn’t disclose the nature of the information received by law enforcement, but specified his office had “indications that the targets of such an attack will be areas that attract large crowds, like commercial centers.”

Police asked residents to abstain from tweeting or posting to Facebook any type of information that could tip off targeted suspects to law enforcement activity. In a show of solidarity and humor, social media posters actually responded by putting up pictures of their cats in various poses.

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One poster put up a photo of a cat wrapped in white robe and head towel, cucumbers on its eyes, a la massage ready, the Verge reported. Another posted a photo of a cat wrapped in a brown piece of paper, like a sub sandwich, with the text: “Stay safe.” And yet another posted a picture of a cat in a Darth Vader costume, along with the statement: “May the force be with us.”

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