Seven terrorists have been arrested in the Netherlands today as Dutch police mounted a series of raids nationwide. Among the seven terror suspects was a woman. The Dutch Parliament and the Prime Minister's office were also sealed off as gun shots were heard from a nearby street.

One of those arrested was a repeat offender. Dutch news agency ANP reports that among those arrested was Samir Azzouz, 19, acquitted in April of charges of planning attacks on government buildings--including Parliament. Police report that they found maps of potential targets in his home which included parliament and the Borselle nuclear power plant. (AKI)

Azzouz is suspected of belonging to the Hofstad Network, a group of suspected radical muslims which allegedly included Mohammed Bouyeri, the Dutch-Morroccan man jailed for life in July for the murder of film-maker Theo van Gogh, nearly a year ago in Amsterdam. (FT)

On Thursday, media reported renewed threats against members of parliament Ayaan Hirsi Ali (image right) and Geert Wilders, both outspoken critics of Islamic extremism. The two went into hiding for several months after Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh's brutal murder. (Haaretz)

Local media also report that gunshots were heard in a largely Muslim immigrant neighborhood in the Hague this morning. The police have yet to confirm this.

Today, The Jawa Report received this comment from a Muslim reader in The Netherlands:

JIHAD AGAINST THE KUFFAR AND THE MUNAFIQEEN, MURTADEEN IS FARD (required)

SO OH MUSLIMS MARCH OUT TOWARDS THE BATTLEFIELD OF AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, JAZERATUL ARAB, KASHMIR, SHESHAAN, PALESTINE

Journalist Hans Andringa told CNN there had been rumors that on November 2, the anniversary of Van Gogh's death, fundamentalists were planning "a macabre birthday party."

Following the arrests, Holland's National Coordinator for Counterterrorism announced a stepping up of security around the Binnenhof (parliamentary and governmental complex in The Hague), the headquarters of the General Intelligence and Security Service in Leidschendam, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

Personal security was also being stepped up for leading figures, the statement said, adding that there was no need to raise the general threat level associated with the national terrorist threat assessment.

"As reported earlier, the current threat level for the Netherlands is substantial, and that level remains unchanged," the statement said.

Personal note: I'm off the rest of the day doing you know what with you know who at you know where.

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