Belgian police hunt for gunmen after Brussels shooting

Belgian police are on the lookout for armed males after a taking pictures was reported exterior a metro station within the centre of Brussels.

CCTV footage broadcast by native media exhibits not less than two males carrying balaclavas and carrying weapons on the entrance of Clémenceau station within the Belgian capital early on Wednesday.

Video from the scene exhibits an alternate of fireside at about 06:15 native time (05:15 GMT).

Sarah Frederickx, spokeswoman for Brussels police, stated the suspects might have fled into the tunnels of the metro system.

The spokeswoman stated there have been no accidents within the taking pictures.

Police are on the lookout for “a small group of individuals, most likely two or three people”, Ms Frederickx stated, including that they might nonetheless be armed and that police didn’t wish to take any dangers.

BruxellesToday reported the suspects have been carrying what seemed to be Kalashnikov weapons.

The BBC has verified footage of the incident circulating on social media, which confirmed two males brandishing what seemed like rifles and taking pictures. From the video, it’s unclear who they’re aiming at.

A number of metro stations closed for hours this morning and interrupted service at Clémenceau station and the close by Brussels-Midi station, which additionally serves as a terminal for Eurostar trains. They’ve since reopened and features are step by step returning to their common service.

A command publish to coordinate the search has been arrange on the Anderlecht city corridor, west of the Belgian capital’s metropolis centre.

No arrests have been made but and no person was injured within the taking pictures, the prosecutor’s workplace stated in a latest replace. They add that, presently, authorities do not imagine there was a “terrorist” motive behind the assault.

Belgium’s inside minister, Bernard Quintin, joined police and Anderlecht’s mayor on the city corridor on Wednesday morning.

“We’re following the state of affairs carefully,” he stated in a publish on X.

Experiences on Belgian media counsel the occasions may need been linked to drug trafficking. The world round Brussels-Midi has lengthy had a popularity for violence and crime.

Tram strains that have been disrupted – particularly between Lemonnier and Berkendael and between Port d’Anderlecht and Gare du Midi stations – have now resumed service.

Hundreds of commuters have been impacted by the incident, which befell in the course of the morning rush hour.

One native resident instructed Belgium’s VRT broadcaster he heard 5 or 6 pictures. One other resident, additionally unnamed by the broadcaster, stated she was scared.

“I went exterior and puzzled what is occurring. Is that this conflict? We have now to ship our kids to highschool, we take the metro. We’re scared, sure.”