Brussels remains on the highest terror threat level, which indicates that an attack is “imminent” – while the rest of the country is on the second-highest level, to reflect an incident is “probable”. Michel warned the public to continue to exercise caution in “heavily frequented” areas like malls, shopping streets, and public transportation.
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“We want to thank the people for their calm and understanding”, he said, adding the security level would be reviewed again next Monday.
Brussels remained in a state of partial lockdown Monday morning as police continued to carry out terror raids across the Belgian capital. “For the metro it could be in a progressive way”, he said.
Belgian police have launched several operations linked to the “terrorist threat” facing Brussels, which is under a top security alert over fears of Paris-style attacks.
He is being held in custody.
Federal prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt said 19 raids were carried out in Molenbeek, home to numerous Paris attackers, and other boroughs of Brussels and three raids were carried out in other cities. The vehicle escaped but was stopped later in Brussels, and a wounded person inside was arrested. “Belgian police don’t have a handle on where these guys are and that’s why they’re shaking the tree so hard”.
The government said that fugitive Salah Abdeslam, who is believed to have been the gunman who sprayed the Casa Nostra pizzeria with bullets, killing five people, was not among those detained in raids last night. He is charged with participating in activities of a terrorist group and with terrorist attack (Paris),’ the prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Monday.
Officials haven’t detailed the “serious and imminent threat” announced late Friday, looming over a city that draws millions of visitors every year and houses key European Union institutions.
Police are searching for Belgian national Salah Abdeslam, whose brother reportedly blew himself up in one of the Paris attacks and who is believed to have returned to Brussels from Paris in the hours after the November 13 attacks.
“It’s my firm conviction that Britain should do so too”, he said, offering France the use of a British airbase in Cyprus for strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq.
Interior Minister Jan Jambon said authorities are seeking “multiple suspects, which is why we’ve put such a concentration of resources in the field”.
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After Cameron, the French leader was due to meet US President Barack Obama on Tuesday and then Germany’s Angela Merkel and Russia’s Vladimir Putin on the subsequent two days.
