A police operation was launched on Monday evening in Brussels to search for one or more armed suspects entrenched in a building in the district housing the European institutions, announced the city prosecutor’s office.
“The police were contacted just before 6 p.m. (5 p.m. GMT) regarding an incident taking place in the European district,” said Willemien Baert, a spokeswoman for the prosecution.
According to her, one or more people suspected of being armed took refuge “in a building” in a street near Square Ambiorix, a few hundred meters from the headquarters of the European Commission and the European Council.
Selon la radio blege Bruzzmembers of the special forces reportedly entered a building but no shots were heard.
A deployed helicopter
The search operation required the deployment of a police helicopter, which was still flying over the area around 10 p.m. No information was immediately available on the circumstances of the incident or the motives of the suspects.
The institutions will host a summit of EU heads of state and government on Thursday and Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might attend this meeting in person, according to several European sources.
