Brussels put on maximum alert on risk of Paris-like attack

Paris bombings and shootings carried out by Islamic State militants, of whom one suspect from Brussels is at large, Brussels was placed on the top level "four" in the government's threat scale after a meeting of police, justice and intelligence officials.

Soldiers were on guard in parts of Brussels, a city of 1.2 million people and home to institutions of the European Union and the headquarters of NATO.

"The result of relatively precise information pointed to the risk of an attack along the lines of what took take place in Paris," Prime Minister Charles Michel told a news conference on November 21 after a meeting of the national security council. The Paris attacks left 130 people dead.

The metro system is to remain closed until then, in line with recommendation of the government's crisis center. Major shopping centers and stores did open on Saturday morning, with soldiers deployed outside shops.

However, many began closing their doors from around midday.

The crisis center advised the public to avoid places with crowds, such as shopping centers, concerts, sports events or public transport hubs.

The city's museums and many cinemas and sports centers were shut, on separate orders from the city's 19 different local mayors. Clubs and venues canceled events, including a planned concert of veteran French rock singer Johnny Hallyday.

The agency has called on local authorities to postpone soccer matches, although most games in the top two divisions were set to go ahead.

Brussels-based Anderlecht's visit to Lokeren was canceled because the fixture was identified as a risk match requiring federal police, who were no longer available even with an increased military presence.

Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said that 1,000 troops were now available for patrols, double the level of a week earlier.

Stranded tourists on the cold and damp streets appeared more bemused than fearful, including Dutchman Gerrit Valkeman on a weekend trip with his wife.

Belgium has been at the heart of investigations into the Paris attacks - which included suicide bombers targeting a France-Germany soccer match - after the links to Brussels, and the poor district of Molenbeek in particular, emerged.

The last time any part of Belgium was put on maximum alert was in May 2014 when an Islamist gunman shot dead four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. At that time, Jewish schools, synagogues and other institutions were put on level four.