Story highlights
Salah Abdeslam charged in shootout in Brussels days before his capture last month
Four police officers were wounded in the shootout in Brussels suburb of Forest
Abdeslam evaded authorities seeking him in connection with Paris attacks for four months
Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam has been charged with attempted murder in a shootout with police in Brussels days before his capture last month.
The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office announced the charges in a statement Thursday.
Four police officers were wounded in the March 15 shootout in the Brussels suburb of Forest three days before the fugitive was eventually captured in another district of the Belgian capital, bringing an end to his four months on the run.
An Algerian accomplice of Abdeslam’s was killed in the Forest raid, which took place a week before the March 22 Brussels terror attacks that killed 32 people.
ISIS claimed both the Paris and Brussels attacks.
Abdeslam, 26, was finally apprehended amid another gunbattle with authorities during a March 18 raid on the suburb of Molenbeek.
The Belgian-born French citizen is due to be extradited to France in coming days to face charges over the Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
On Wednesday, Ossama Krayem, already charged in connection with the Brussels attacks, was formally accused of involvement in the attacks in Paris.
