Seven Detained in Belgium Over Synagogue Blast Probe in Liège

Belgian authorities have detained seven people during house searches linked to the March bombing near a synagogue in Liège, according to the Belgian news agency Belga. The searches were ordered by an investigating judge as part of a federal terrorism inquiry. Prosecutors said, “Seven people were arrested during these operations,” and added that no further details could be released “for the sake of the investigation.”

The explosion happened around 4:00 a.m. on March 9 at the synagogue’s main entrance. No one was injured, but the blast caused major property damage, including to nearby buildings. Windows were shattered in the synagogue and surrounding structures, and the synagogue door was damaged by flames that followed the blast. The street was closed to traffic and police cordoned off a large area for the investigation.

The case was assigned to the federal police counterterrorism unit, with the federal prosecutor’s office also involved. A video posted around the time of the incident showed a masked person. The Jewish community said from the outset that it was an antisemitic attack, and prosecutors also pointed to “possible indications of a terrorist offense.”

The synagogue reopened about two months after the explosion. In response, Belgium deployed soldiers to protect Antwerp’s Jewish quarter, home to one of Europe’s largest Jewish communities, as well as other Jewish institutions. The move followed a joint announcement by Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and Defense Minister Theo Francken, after Prime Minister Bart De Wever, other ministers, and the federal prosecutor’s office officially described the blast as a “despicable antisemitic act.”