Brussels schools, metro to reopen but terror alert remains

BRUSSELS: Schools and the underground train system in Brussels will reopen Wednesday but the country remains under the highest level of alert for a fourth straight day due to a continuing terrorism threat, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said.

"The crisis centre decided to maintain the alert level four, which means the threat remains serious and imminent," Michel told a press conference.

"We took the decision to reopen schools Wednesday. Same for the metro."

Fourth Paris suspect charged

Meanwhile, a Belgian anti-terrorism judge charged a suspect with involvement in the Paris attacks, the federal prosecutor’s office said today, the fourth person to face charges in Belgium over the November 13 atrocities.

The suspect was arrested in a series of police raids in Belgium on Sunday night along with 15 other people who were all released without charge, as authorities warned of a Paris-style plot facing Brussels.

"The investigating judge specialised in terrorism cases placed into custody a man arrested during the operations of last night. He is charged with participating in activities of a terrorist group and with terrorist attack (Paris)," the prosecutor´s office said in a statement.

"After thorough interrogation by the federal judicial police, the remaining 15 persons were released by the investigating judge."

Mohammed Amri, 27, and Hamza Attou, 20, were charged last Monday on suspicion of helping alleged Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam with escaping to Brussels after the November 13 carnage in which 130 people died.

A third person who has not been publicly named was also charged with involvement in the Paris attacks on Friday and is reported to have helped Salah when he was dropped off in the Belgian capital.