Belgian police set up security cordon after murder report

Belgian police special forces prepare to enter a building after an area of the Forest commune was closed by Belgian police and special forces, in Brussels

Police closed down a street in southern Brussels in a major security operation involving specialist armed units on Thursday after a report of a possible murder.

A police spokeswoman denied media reports that an armed gunman was hiding in the area. She said that the special units of the federal police had been deployed after a Polish man reported that someone had been murdered in the morning.

“They are searching the buildings but we can say there has not been any terrorist attack,” she said.

Brussels is still on alert after suicide bombers killed 32 people at the airport and on the metro in March 2016.