Baku-APA. A day after being captured in a fierce gun battle with authorities, Salah Abdeslam has been charged with participation in a terrorist murder -- last fall's horrific attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead, APA reports quoting CNN.
Abdeslam was also charged with taking part in the activities in a terrorist organization, according to a statement Saturday from the Belgian federal prosecutor's office. The office doesn't specify which terror group, though ISIS claimed it was responsible for the Paris carnage.
Monir Ahmed Alaaj, also known as Amine Choukri -- the other man wounded in a raid Friday in the Brussels' suburb of Molenbeek -- faces the same charges.
Of the three others detained in the operation, one faces charges of participating in a terror group's activities and hiding criminals, and another with hiding criminals. The third was let go without being charged.
Both Abdeslam and Alaaj went directly to nearby hospitals after the Molenbeek raid. They were later released, Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur tweeted without disclosing either man's location.
It's not known what will happen next with Alaaj. But Abdeslam will very likely be brought back to France, where the November 13 attacks occurred.
French officials praised the police action that led to Abdeslam's capture. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called it "an important blow to the terrorist organization Daesh in Europe," using another moniker for ISIS, which has claimed it was responsible for the Paris attacks.
"This is not the end of the fight that we are leading relentlessly against terrorism," Cazeneuve said. "We need to maintain our vigilance to be ahead of the threat."
Suspect opposes extradition to France
Three relatives who helped hide Abdeslam were detained as well, according to Van der Sypt from the Belgian federal prosecutor's office.
French President Francois Hollande said Paris prosecutors will seek the extradition of Abdeslam -- a Belgian-born French citizen -- to France for trial.
"I know the Belgian authorities will respond quickly and favorably to our request for extradition," Hollande said.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel signaled Saturday that is just his intention.
He told reporters that authorities in his country will do their best to arrange for Abdeslam's extradition "as soon as possible."
The 26-year-old suspect doesn't want to leave Belgium.
His lawyer Sven Mary told reporters Saturday in Brussels that Abdeslam will oppose extradition to France but is cooperating with Belgian authorities, adding that he's set to undergo a second round of questioning later in the day.
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