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Brussels police carry out security operation in Schaerbeek | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The Schaerbeek area of Brussels was reportedly on lockdown for a period this evening as police carried out a security operation. | |
The Brussels prosecutor's office will hold a press briefing on the operation Tuesday at 11 am. It said earlier that no more information on the operation would be given tonight. | |
Several deployments took place in the vicinity of Liedts Square, according to Brussels Nord police, as reported by 7Sur7. | |
A number of streets had been sealed off and people were escorted back to their homes by police, according to RTL Info. These streets have now been reopened after police lifted a large security perimeter just before 8 pm. | |
Five tram lines halted services for some time at the order of police. All have now resumed operations, according to Brussels transport operator STIB - MIVB. | Five tram lines halted services for some time at the order of police. All have now resumed operations, according to Brussels transport operator STIB - MIVB. |
It’s been speculated that the operation is related to a terrorism investigation. Political journalist Thomas Gadisseux tweeted that significant resources have been deployed as part of an anti-terrorist operation which has been ongoing since the start of the day. | |
In October two Belgian police officers were attacked in Schaerbeek by a knife-wielding man in an incident classified as a suspected terrorist act, according to the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office. | In October two Belgian police officers were attacked in Schaerbeek by a knife-wielding man in an incident classified as a suspected terrorist act, according to the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office. |
READ MORE: Two policemen stabbed in suspected terror attack in Brussels – prosecutors | READ MORE: Two policemen stabbed in suspected terror attack in Brussels – prosecutors |
Schaerbeek is 5km from the mainly-Muslim area of Molenbeek where the Abdeslam brothers, Salah and Brahim, who were behind the Paris terrorist attacks, lived. | Schaerbeek is 5km from the mainly-Muslim area of Molenbeek where the Abdeslam brothers, Salah and Brahim, who were behind the Paris terrorist attacks, lived. |
The area has been under intense police scrutiny since the November 2015 attacks and has been subject to several anti-terrorist police raids. | The area has been under intense police scrutiny since the November 2015 attacks and has been subject to several anti-terrorist police raids. |