Belgium reduces security level

Belgium lowered today national threat level almost two years after the attacks that killed 32 people in Brussels.

Prime Minister Charles Michel said the country had reduced the threat level to two from three on a four-tier scale. The move indicates the threat has fallen to “medium” from “serious”, meaning an attack is now considered unlikely, rather than probable.

“But level two after the attacks is not the same as level two was before the attacks,” Prime Minister Charles Michel told a news conference. “There is a security culture which has developed over the past years.”

Philippe Close, Mayor of Brussels, underlined the importance to keep the military in sensitive areas in Brussels.

Belgian soldiers will continue to patrol streets but in fewer numbers. The move is expected to save money and relieve pressure on a stretched military, allowing troops to train.