EU capital Brussels paralyzed by terror threat

EU capital Brussels paralyzed by terror threat

Police helicopters also took part in raids that lasted more than three hours. 19 houses were searched and 16 people arrested.

A state of emergency will remain in force on Monday, it was decided by the Belgian prime minister. Schools and the subway will be closed. Institutions of the European Union will hold only urgent meetings, while the staff has been told they can work from home.

The highest level of alert is still in effect, which means the city is at risk of an imminent terrorist attack, while the rest of the country is one level lower.

It was announced previously the police searched for a terrorist cell that was ready for an attack, that two terrorists had a bomb, but also that the whereabouts of Salah Abdeslam, a terrorist who was involved in the Paris attacks on November 13, were unknown.