One person was wounded and taken into police custody after a major police operation in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels, the local mayor said.
According to La Libre and La Capitale news organizations, a Belgian prosecutor said the man was not Mohammed Abrini who is wanted in connection with November’s Paris attacks.
The Mayor of Schaerbeek, Bernard Clerfayt said the man was wounded in the leg during the police operation and added that the man is linked to the bomb attacks in Brussels and to a raid in Paris on Thursday.
Special units of the federal police, supported by the military cordoned off an area of Schaerbeek at around 1 p.m.
Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported a man with a backpack had been “neutralized” after refusing to comply with police orders.
Three explosions were heard during the operation, but Clerfayt said they were controlled explosions – a remote-controlled bomb disposal robot can be seen in the video footage from the incident.
It is thought police believed the man’s backpack contained explosive materials, but this has not been confirmed.
The security operation ended at around 3 p.m.
#Schaerbeek suspect had a girl with him, taken away by police, witnesses say, unclear yet why he was a target pic.twitter.com/5bFnc7ER1b
— Eszter Zalan (@eszterz) March 25, 2016
#BREAKING: Brussels anti-terror raid linked to foiled French attack: police source
— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 25, 2016
2 détonations, une arrestation, service de déminage sur place. Trafic STIB interrompu #Meiser selon @Delphinesimon
— Johanne Montay (@JohanneMontay) March 25, 2016
opération de police en bas de chez nous #scared #schaerbeek #meiser pic.twitter.com/wnjRIc37TX
— Mathieu Avanzi (@MathieuAvanzi) March 25, 2016