Two suspected jihadists have been killed in an anti-terror operation in eastern Belgium, officials say, the BBC reports.
Prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt said a third person had been arrested in the raid in Verviers, and no police or members of the public were harmed.
Mr Van der Sypt told reporters police had targeted a group returning from Syria who had been about to launch “large-scale” attacks.
Suspects had opened fire on police with assault weapons, he said.
“The suspects immediately and for several minutes opened fire with military weaponry and handguns on the special units of the federal police before they were neutralised,” he said.
Anti-terror raids were also under way in the Brussels region, Mr Van der Sypt added.
“We still expect a number of arrests,” he said.
The terror threat level in Belgium has been raised to three – the second highest, Mr Van der Sypt said.
