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Paris attacks: Three police officers injured in shootout in Brussels

Xinhua, March 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

Three Belgian police officers suffered minor injuries in a shootout during a raid on a property here as part of the investigation into the Nov. 13 terror attacks in Paris, the Belgian federal prosecutor said on Tuesday.

Shots were fired in the Brussels commune of Forest, at a property on Rue de Dries. A man reportedly fired on several police officers with an automatic weapon.

Eric Van Der Sypt, spokesman for the federal prosecutor, said: "As soon as the officers rang the doorbell of the house, shots were fired in their direction. Several policemen were slightly injured."

According to the local police department, the suspected gunman is on the run. The number of fleeing suspects is still to be confirmed.

Belgian public broadcaster RTBF said the police were not heavily armed as investigators had not expected to find people inside the building, which had reportedly been rented under a fake name.

The anti-terrorist raid was carried out on Tuesday as part of a Franco-Belgian operation, Belgian interior minister Jan Jambon confirmed.

French police officers were also involved in the operation, described by the interior minister's office as a "joint mission, as is done regularly since the Paris attacks."

According to RTBF, Belgian prime minister Charles Michel has not ruled out a meeting of the National Security Council depending on the outcome of today's raid. Endit