The Belgian police have sealed a part of a suburb in the capital Brussels after reports that an armed man could be hiding in the area surfaced, AP reported.
Armed police officers were seen staking out a building rooftop in the Forest neighborhood of the Belgian capital. The police have ruled out terrorism.
Brussels police spokesperson Kathleen Calie said officers from Belgium’s special federal force were deployed to the Forest suburb after witnesses said an armed person could be hiding in the area. Calie said the police searched one building and found nothing, and a second search was in progress.
“We can rule out terrorism,” she said. However, residents have been warned to stay inside their homes.
According to local media, the incident is happening near a primary school attended by at least 350 students. Earlier in the day, Forest Mayor Marc-Jean Ghyssels confirmed the police operation, broadcaster RTL reported.
On March 22, 2016, as many as 34 people were killed after explosions in a Brussels airport and a metro station – Belgium only recently lowered its threat level after almost two years on high alert following this attack.
The Forest suburb was where Paris attack accused Salah Abdeslam hid and was caught in a shootout in 2015, AP reported.
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