Brussels: A man with psychiatric problems who was carrying a fake suicide belt full of salt and biscuits was arrested today after he triggered a major anti-terror operation at a Brussels shopping mall, prosecutors said.
Belgium remains on a high state of alert after ISIS-claimed bomb attacks in March left 32 people dead at the airport and at a metro station near European Union headquarters buildings.
Prosecutors said they were still investigating whether the man -- who had once claimed he had been urged to join the ISIS in Syria -- had any genuine links to terrorism or not.
"After an initial inspection it was confirmed that it contained salt and biscuits. Any threat of an explosion has been initially ruled out," prosecutor's spokesman Rym Kechiche said in a statement.
Police later located the car identified by the suspect in the Schaerbeek district of the capital and planned to question its owner.
The apparent threat had triggered a massive security operation.
Prime Minister Charles Michel called an emergency meeting of his security cabinet when the shopping mall alert was ongoing, reflecting the tensions in the country.
The terror alert level in Brussels remained at level three out of four, Belga news agency reported.
The incident comes only days after Belgian authorities charged three men with "attempted terrorist murder" after raiding dozens of homes linked to a reported threat to fans watching during a Euro 2016 football game.
Authorities said at the time they were responding to a need for "an immediate intervention".
The areas searched included neighbourhoods in Brussels where November's terrorists in Paris and the Brussels suicide bombings had planned their assaults.
In proportion to its population, Belgium has the highest number of so-called foreign fighters in the EU who have travelled to wage jihad in Syria and Iraq, an estimated 500.
After Saturday's swoop, Michel said the country would be taking "additional and updated security measures."
On Saturday, a source close to Belgian authorities confirmed to news agency AFP that several leading political figures have recently had their security increased.
Belgium remains on a high state of alert after ISIS-claimed bomb attacks in March left 32 people dead at the airport and at a metro station near European Union headquarters buildings.
Prosecutors said they were still investigating whether the man -- who had once claimed he had been urged to join the ISIS in Syria -- had any genuine links to terrorism or not.
"After an initial inspection it was confirmed that it contained salt and biscuits. Any threat of an explosion has been initially ruled out," prosecutor's spokesman Rym Kechiche said in a statement.
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Police later located the car identified by the suspect in the Schaerbeek district of the capital and planned to question its owner.
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The apparent threat had triggered a massive security operation.
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Prime Minister Charles Michel called an emergency meeting of his security cabinet when the shopping mall alert was ongoing, reflecting the tensions in the country.
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The terror alert level in Brussels remained at level three out of four, Belga news agency reported.
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The incident comes only days after Belgian authorities charged three men with "attempted terrorist murder" after raiding dozens of homes linked to a reported threat to fans watching during a Euro 2016 football game.
Authorities said at the time they were responding to a need for "an immediate intervention".
The areas searched included neighbourhoods in Brussels where November's terrorists in Paris and the Brussels suicide bombings had planned their assaults.
In proportion to its population, Belgium has the highest number of so-called foreign fighters in the EU who have travelled to wage jihad in Syria and Iraq, an estimated 500.
After Saturday's swoop, Michel said the country would be taking "additional and updated security measures."
On Saturday, a source close to Belgian authorities confirmed to news agency AFP that several leading political figures have recently had their security increased.
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