Reduced punishment for Belgian terror cell member

brussels - The only one of the three terrorists who survived the police raid in Verviers Belgium from January 2015, was sentenced to twelve years in prison. The court in Brussels Friday took four years off the sentence the court imposed last year. Marouane El Bali was not the leader, but only a member of the terrorist organization, according to the court.

Police shot the two others died in the apartment where they were found in the raid. They would have had concrete plans to commit a terrorist attack in Belgium. In the house were weapons, police uniforms and explosives were found.

The court El Bali declared guilty of planning attacks and making false identity papers. The accusation that he wanted to manufacture explosives did not last.

The court sentenced last fifteen members of the group, whose nine in absentia. Among them a Dutch Syriëganger, who got five years in prison.