Belgian police search for gunmen in Brussels metro
Police officers work at the Clemenceau metro station after a shooting in Brussels, Belgium, February 5, 2025.
Belgian police are searching for a gunman after shots were fired outside a metro station in central Brussels.
CCTV footage released by local media shows at least two hooded men carrying guns at the entrance to the Clemenceau station in the Belgian capital on Wednesday morning.
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Video from the scene shows an exchange of gunfire around 06:15 local time (05:15 GMT).
Brussels police spokeswoman Sarah Frederickx said the suspects fled the metro station and may still be in the metro tunnels.
The spokeswoman said there were no injuries in the shooting. Local police and federal railway police are searching the area.
Police are looking for "a small group of people, maybe two or three individuals," Frederickx said, adding that they may also be armed and that police were not taking any chances.
BrusselsToday reported that the suspects were carrying what appeared to be Kalashnikov weapons.
The BBC has reviewed footage of the incident circulating on social media, which shows two men brandishing what appears to be a gun and firing. It is not clear from the video who they are targeting. Clémenceau station was closed, as was Brussels-Midi station, which also serves as a terminal for Eurostar trains.
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Two metro lines that run through central Brussels were also suspended, from Gare de l'Ouest to Trône, near the European Parliament.
Belgian media reported a possible link between the events and drug trafficking. The area around Brussels-South has long had a reputation for violence and crime.
Tram lines were also disrupted, particularly between Lemonnier and Berkendael stations and between Port d'Anderlecht and Midi stations. Thousands of passengers were affected by the incident, which occurred during the morning rush hour. No indication was given as to when normal traffic would be able to resume.
A command post to coordinate the search has been set up in the municipality of Anderlecht, west of the city center of the Belgian capital.
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