Explosion, gunfire in Brussels police raid
(WISH) — A major police operation was underway Friday in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek, Belgian public broadcaster RTBF reported.
Witnesses told the broadcaster they heard an explosion, with several reporting gunfire as well.
The mayor of a Brussels district says a large police raid now underway is linked to the investigation into this week’s Brussels suicide bombings and a new arrest in the Paris area.
State broadcaster RTBF quoted mayor Bernard Clerfayt as saying one person has been “neutralized” in the operation Friday in his Schaerbeek district. He did not say whether that meant the person was arrested or wounded.
Clerfayt says the raid is linked to Tuesday’s attacks on the Brussels airport and subway and to the arrest of a man Thursday in the Paris area. Officials say that man had a Belgian terror conviction and connections to the suspected ringleader of last year’s deadly Nov. 13 attacks in Paris.
Prime Minister Charles Michel skipped a wreath-laying ceremony at the Brussels airport with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry because of the ongoing police operation.
A blast has been heard from a police operation in a Brussels neighborhood that once housed a hideout for the suicide bombers who targeted the city’s airport and subway system this week.
Associated Press reporters at the scene described hearing a new detonation, though it was unclear whether it was a controlled police detonation or something else.
About 50 officers appear to be involved in the operation. A tram passing through the area was stopped and evacuated and police cordoned off a wide perimeter of streets.
State broadcaster RTBF says multiple police operations are underway in Schaerbeek, and one person has been detained. It says one explosion was heard at the start of the operation and cited witnesses describing gunfire.
Police earlier this week found a large stash of explosives in an apartment in Schaerbeek believed to have been used by suicide bombers in Tuesday’s attacks.
According to RTBF, the closed-off area was surrounded by heavily armed police and military trucks.
This is a developing story. Check back to WISHTV.com for updates.The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this story.
