Belgian authorities announced Thursday that they have arrested a ninth person connected to the Nov.13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
The suspect, only identified as Abdoullah C., was being held for his involvement with "terrorist murders and participation in the activities of a terrorist organization," the Belgian federal prosecutor's office said in a statement, according to The New York Times.
He was reportedly arrested on Tuesday and becomes the ninth person arrested in connection to the attacks.
The other eight facing criminal charges are:
• Mohamed Amri and Hamza Attou, accused of being Salah Abdeslam's getaway drivers;
• Abraimi Lazez and Ali Oulkadi, accused of helping Abdeslam after the attacks;
• Abdellah Chouaa, a suspected associate of Abdeslam;
• Mohamed Bakkali, resident of a house in the Belgian town of Auvelais that may have been used as a hide-out;
• Two men, identified only as Samir Z. and Pierre N., who are believed to have been friends of Bilal Hadfi, another one of the attackers.
Born in 1985, it is believed that the Belgian citizen had been in contact several times with Hasna Ait Boulahcen, who died in a police raid in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Nov. 18, according to CBS News.
Ait Boulahcen was the cousin of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who participated in the attacks and also died during the raid in Saint-Denis.
Abdoullah C.'s contacts with Ait Boulahcen date between the time of the Paris attacks and her death in Saint-Denis, reported CNN. However, it's unclear how deeply involved he was in the entire incident.
A hearing to determine how long Abdoullah C. is to be detained will be held later Thursday, according to the statement.
In the meantime, the global manhunt for Salah Abdeslam, 26, believed to be the only direct participant in the attack who is still alive, continues. He's been reported to have travelled to various locations since he was officially named as a suspect, and most recently it's believed he's either in Morocco or Syria.
