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Belgian terror cell investigated

The cell has been traced to the backstreets of Brussels

By CNN's Diana Muriel

BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- A terrorist cell operating in the heart of Brussels could be connected to the assassination of Northern Alliance leader General Ahmed Shah Massoud.

The charismatic opposition leader died at the hands of suicide bombers, disguised as journalists, in Afghanistan on September 9, and both his killers were travelling on stolen Belgian passports.

Sources close to the Belgian police say they have uncovered a terrorist cell that manufactured false papers and passports.

The documents, investigators say, are similar to the ones found on the bodies of the two suicide bombers responsible for the assassination of Massoud in Afghanistan -- just two days before the terrorist attacks in the United States.

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In a series of raids in and around the Belgian capital, police made 14 arrests and seized a quantity of documents that are now being analysed. One suspect has been charged with possession of false documents and forgery.

Jos Colpin, the chief prosecutor's spokesman, said: "There is a link between the false passports and the documents that were found in the Massoud case and the case that we are running here, but it is the only link.

"We are we are trying to track back to the gang which is responsible for manufacturing these false documents."

In additional co-ordinated raids, police in France made two more arrests -- one in Paris and one at the request of the Belgian investigating judge at a farm close to the Belgian border.

Those arrested in France remain in custody, but Belgian police have released, for now, 13 of those arrested in Belgium.

Colpin said: "It does not mean that there is no evidence against them -- the documents that have been seized are being investigated now, and that could mean that maybe later some people could be re-interrogated and eventually formally charged, according to the instructing judge."

On the record, the Belgian authorities will share no additional details -- not even the names or nationalities of those picked up.

But sources close to the Belgian police have told CNN that some of the suspects are of Tunisian origin -- and they believe them to be connected to other Tunisian-led terrorist cells based in Italy and here in Brussels -- all operating as part of the al Qaeda terrorist network.