Belgium has lowered the security threat level in Brussels after nearly a week on maximum alert following the Islamic State attacks in Paris, so that a threat is now considered “possible and likely” rather than “serious and imminent”. The reduction of the threat level from 4 to 3 on Thursday brings the capital into line with the rest of the country, Peter Mertens of the Belgian Federal Crisis Centre said.
Belgium raised its security alert immediately after the attacks on 13 November, and a week later put Brussels on to maximum alert as police hunted a local suspect, as well as accomplices who the government said might be planning similar attacks in the Belgian capital.
The suspect remains at large. Police have mounted a number of raids and searches over the past two weeks, the most recent on Thursday, and have charged five people with terrorism offences linked to the Paris attacks.
The lowering of the threat level came as a surprise, since the government had said that it would most likely keep the highest threat level in the capital throughout the weekend.
