A Belgian man arrested in Morocco last week had a "direct relationship" to the ISIS terrorists who killed 130 people in coordinated attacks in Paris last November.
The Associated Press reported that Morocco’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the suspect, who is of Moroccan descent, received military training in Syria and fostered relationships with ISIS field commanders there. In particular, the suspect made connections with "the mastermind" of the Paris attacks and other individuals who have threatened to attack France and Belgium.
At least one of the suspects in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, is still on the run. Abdeslam, a French citizen, was born in Belgium. He was stopped by police following the attacks but never detained.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry identified the suspect arrested Friday with the initials J.A. His exact relationship to the Paris attackers is unclear.
The individual was arrested in the port city of Mohammedia. He had previously traveled through Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Terrorism concerns have heightened in the months since the attacks in Paris. ISIS has threatened attacks on western nations, including the United States, who have sought to erode the terrorist group’s holdings in Iraq and Syria. ISIS is also believed to have inspired the two radicalized individuals who killed 14 people at a San Bernardino, California, holiday party in December.