One week after a deadly terrorist attack hit Paris, Belgium has raised its terror alert in the Brussels region to the highest level, with Prime Minister Charles Michel saying, "We have concrete information that a similar attack like in Paris could take place in Brussels."
With Brussels now at a Level 4 terror alert, the city has been declared to face a "serious and imminent" threat. Large public events are now being limited, and a military and police presence has been heightened. The city's metro system is closed until at least Sunday.
Investigators have linked several people who had been living in Belgium to the gun and explosive attacks that killed 130 people in Paris — and one attacker who is still being hunted is thought to have returned to France's northern neighbor.
A similar attack, with individuals armed with guns and bombs deployed to several locations, could hit Brussels, Michel said, but he also told his citizens that "there is no reason to panic," according to Flanders News.
Michel did not provide any other details about a potential plot, such as the possible location or timing of an attack.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.