Belgian Police Say Troops Shoot Knife Attacker in Brussels

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian soldiers shot a man in downtown Brussels on Friday evening after he attacked the troops with a knife, federal police said.

"A man armed with a knife attacked a group of soldiers. The soldiers fired at him and neutralized the individual," said Belgian Federal Police spokesman, Jonathan Pfunde.

He declined to say whether the man was shot dead.

Belgium's anti-terror crisis center also said in a tweet that the soldiers had "neutralized" the man and that the "situation is under control."

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted: "All our support is with our soldiers. Our security services remain on alert. We are following the situation closely."

Associated Press television images from central Brussels showed that police have sealed off a main street not far from the Belgian capital's main Grand Place tourist attraction.

Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people in attacks on March 22, 2016 on the Brussels main airport and subway system.

The Federal Prosecutor's office, which handles terror probes in Belgium, could not be immediately reached for confirmation.

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