Brussels police open fire on car 'with explosives inside'

Brussels police opened fire at a vehicle and intercepted it after high-speed chase on Tuesday afternoon in the district of Molenbeek, local media reported.

The driver indicated that the vehicle contained explosives. A bomb squad, from Service for the Removal and Destruction of Explosive Devices (SEDEE), was called in to the scene to handle the emergency, according to Xinhua news agency.

The hunt took place at around 5:00 p.m. local time after the suspicious vehicle failed to stop at a traffic light. The driver refused to obey instructions of police officers and collided with a police vehicle, according to Le Soir.

Police used their guns to try to stop the vehicle from fleeing. However, he continued on the Ninove causeway in Molenbeek before striking a second police vehicle.

The man was taken out of his vehicle and claimed to have "explosives in the car", according to media reports.

Traffic is currently blocked on the Ninove causeway and a safety perimeter has been set up between the Dilbeek Road and the western railway station in Molenbeek.

Some 400 people were confined to the perimeter. The suspect has not yet been identified, according to Brussels prosecutor's office. The car, Citroen Picasso, was registered in Germany.

Molenbeek gained global attention in 2015 after terrorists from the district carried out attacks in both France and Belgium. It is regarded as the European capital city of extremism.

--IANS

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