Belgian police hunt for gunmen in Brussels underground

Belgian police are looking for armed men after a shooting reported outside a metro station in the centre of Brussels.

CCTV footage shows at least two men wearing balaclavas and carrying what appeared to be Kalashnikov weapons at the entrance of Clémenceau station in the Belgian capital early on Wednesday.

Video from the scene shows an exchange of fire at about 06:15 local time (05:15 GMT).

Sarah Frederickx, spokeswoman for Brussels police, said the suspects fled into the metro station and may still be in the metro tunnels.

The spokeswoman said there were no injuries in the shooting. Both the local police and federal railway police are searching the area.

Police are looking for “a small group of people, probably two or three individuals”, Ms Frederickx said, adding that they may still be armed and that police did not want to take any risks.

Clémenceau station has been shut, as has the nearby Brussels-Midi station, which also serves as the terminal for Eurostar trains.

Two metro lines serving the centre of Brussels have also been suspended, from Gare de l’Ouest to Trône, which is close to the European Parliament.

Reports in Belgian media suggest the events might have been linked to drug trafficking. The area around Brussels-Midi has long had a reputation for violence and crime.

Tram lines were also disrupted, namely between Lemonnier and Berkendael.

Thousands of commuters were impacted by the incident, which took place during the morning rush hour. There is no indication of when normal service may resume.