Belgium to maintain terror threat level until year-end

Belgium has decided to maintain its terror threat level at the second highest until the end of this year, interior ministry officials told local media on Tuesday.

After the latest analysis of the risks, which was conducted by Belgium's Coordinating Body for Threat Analysis on Monday evening, the country's national security council has decided to keep current terror threat level of three unchanged, meaning a "possible" threat is present, Xinhua news agency reported.

Interior Minister Jan Jambon's office said the situation would be constantly re-assessed between now and the end of the year, and the level could be altered.

The mayor of Brussels, Yvan Mayeur, has announced that the city's New year eve fireworks display will go ahead if the current level of terror threat remained unchanged, but would be cancelled if the level was raised to the highest level of four.

Level 3 corresponds to a "possible and plausible" threat, while level 4 refers to a "serious and imminent" threat.