Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Brussels manhunt after gunfire in raid 'on Paris suspects'

Security forces at the scene of a shoot-out in Brussels
Belgian security forces are hunting for at least two men after shots were fired at police during a counter-terrorism raid in the capital, Brussels. Three officers were reportedly hurt, one of them seriously. Streets in the suburb of Forest have been sealed off . A BBC reporter at the scene says there has been more gunfire subsequently.
The raid is linked to the Paris attacks which killed 130 people last year November. Islamic State (IS) militants have claimed responsibility for the attacks. After Tuesday's incident, police said they were pursuing at least two suspects who had escaped over rooftops. Eric Van Der Sypt, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor, told AFP news agency that "police were fired at" during the raid on Tuesday afternoon. He added that the raid was "linked to the Paris attacks investigation". A major police operation is now under way, with a helicopter flying overhead. The BBC's Damian Grammaticas at the scene says the whole area is flooded with police, with every access road being blocked. He says the operation appears to be focusing on Rue de la Station road. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying that French police officers were also taking part in the Brussels raid.

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