Belgian jihadi mastermind of Paris attacks

French police raided homes of suspected Islamist militants across the country overnight in the aftermath of the Paris shootings, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said today as he warned of potential further attacks. Belgian officials said that two people they arrested over the weekend have been charged with engaging in terrorism-related activities.

In a statement released Thursday, the Paris prosecutor’s office said that Abaaoud’s body was found in the Saint-Denis building riddled with bullets.

In neighbouring Belgium, the base for many of 13 November’s attackers, the police came up empty handed after rounding up the alleged suspected hideout of the driver for the attackers.

French President Francois Hollande had some decisive words on Monday as he detailed the country’s new counterterrorism strategy in the wake of Friday’s deadly attacks in Paris. “This link exists because people from Iraq and Syria live in areas controlled by Islamic State and are killed by those who attack us”.

Meanwhile, on Saturday Belgian police announced the arrest of 7 individuals suspected to be involved in the Paris terrorist attacks.

Additional security spending would be needed and France would not let European Union budget rules to get in the way, Hollande said.

The French President declared that France is at war against IS, describing them as “cowards”.

German authorities also confirmed Tuesday that three people were arrested near the city of Aachen in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Paris attacks.

“My parents are shocked … didn’t notice anything among my brothers, they acted normally”, said Mohamad Abdeslam, who added that he wasn’t aware that his brothers were in Paris.

In the fight against the extremists, Hollande said he wanted increased global assistance, and would meet with US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin in coming days.

One of the individuals they’re looking for, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is said to be the mastermind behind the attacks.

French warplanes targeted a command center and a recruitment center for jihadists in the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in the second consecutive night of strikes ordered by Hollande, a military command spokesman told Reuters.