Brussels shut its metro system as a terror alert was raised to its highest level on Saturday, with a gunman still on the run after the Paris attacks which have sent jitters through Europe.
Citizens of the Belgian capital were urged to avoid crowded areas due to reports of an “imminent threat” as Belgium-based jehadists have been increasingly linked to the devastating attacks in Paris.
Investigators are working around the clock to track Salah Abdeslam, one of the gunmen who is still on the loose after a coordinated wave of attacks on Parisian nightspots that left 130 dead. The carnage has put all of Europe on edge as it emerged dangerous jehadists slipped between countries unnoticed, prompting the EU to rush through reforms to tighten border checks in its cherished passport-free Schengen zone.
Turkey has detained a Belgian citizen of Moroccan origin, Ahmet Dahmani, 26, who is believed to have helped choose the sites for the Paris attacks, the Dogan news agency reported on Saturday.
The UNSC on Firday authorised nations to “take all necessary measures” to fight Islamic State jihadists and other extremist groups after a wave of terror attacks across the world that has left hundreds dead in recent weeks.