Belgian authorities seek 'entourage' linked to Paris suicide bomber

Authorities in Belgium on Thursday morning launched six raids in the Brussels region linked to Paris suicide bomber Bilal Hadfi.

An official in the Belgian federal prosecutor's office said that the raids took place in Molenbeek and other areas of Brussels. The raids centered on "his entourage," the official said.

The raids came, almost a week after the attacks in Paris that killed 129 people and wounded more than 350, and as the French Interior Ministry and Paris prosecutor's office said it remains unclear whether the suspected mastermind of last week's Paris attacks has been killed or is still at large.

Officials in each agency said Thursday that authorities are working on determining whether 27-year-old Belgian Abdelhamid Abaaoud, identified as the mastermind behind the attacks, was among those killed in a chaotic and bloody raid on an apartment in a Paris suburb Wednesday. The officials were not authorized to be publicly named speaking about an ongoing investigation.

Belgian prosecutors said six addresses were searched in various districts across the Belgian capital as part of an existing investigation opened at the start of the year into Hafdi, who blew himself up near the Stade de France on Friday.

One person was detained in another raid in northern Brussels related to the Paris attacks, prosecutors added.

Earlier on Thursday, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said he wants to amend the constitution to extend the length of time terror suspects can be held by police without charge.

Michel pledged to use changes to the constitution to extend preventive detention times for suspects from 24 hours to 72 hours.

He also affirmed that Belgium would move forward alone on a system of airline passenger information sharing that European Union nations have been incapable of agreeing in four years.

"All democratic forces have to work together to strengthen our security," Michel told lawmakers.

He also rejected criticism over the role security services played before the Paris attacks, which French authorities say were prepared and organised in Belgium.

"I do not accept the criticisms which is aimed at denigrating the work of our security services," Michel said in a speech to parliament.

He added his country  $427 million would be earmarked to boost the security forces, and said special attention would be paid to eradicating messages of hate inspiring young people to fight in places like Syria and Iraq, or back at home later in Europe.

"For jihadis who return, their place is in prison," said Michel.

Some 500 people are on Belgium's list of "radicalized" people, and Michel said he would introduce a system for people considered a threat that would "impose the wearing of an electronic bracelet."

In a vote of confidence in France, the White House said Thursday that President Barack Obama still plans to travel to Paris for the upcoming climate talks.

Deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said the U.S. had very close intelligence relationship with French security officials, and has been actively sharing intelligence with France since the attacks last week.

Rhodes says the French will be the ones to make determinations about how to provide security for the climate summit. Obama is currently scheduled to be in Paris on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. It's unclear whether the dates will be extended or adjusted in light of the attacks.

In Italy, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told RAI state broadcaster on Thursday that Italian law enforcement had been searching since Wednesday for five people flagged by the FBI.

The U.S. State Department issued a warning Wednesday that St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Milan's cathedral and La Scala opera house, as well as churches, synagogues, restaurants, theaters and hotels had been identified as "potential targets."

Gentiloni added that the U.S. alert didn't warn people to stay away from Italy. He said: "We cannot be prisoners of worry."