Terror alert remains at three after Manchester bombing

The terror alert in Belgium will remain at level three (out of four) following the bomb attack in Manchester on Monday night. The single suicide bomber detonated his explosives following a concert at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and putting 59 more in hospital.

Belgian home affairs minister Jan Jambon said that no additional security measures would be taken during the Nato summit due to take place tomorrow. Following the Manchester attack, Jambon ordered the flags on federal government buildings to fly at half-mast. He said he would be investigating whether the attack, claimed by IS, had any link with Belgium.

Federal foreign affairs minister Didier Reynders sent a message to British foreign secretary Boris Johnson. “Belgium and Great Britain are united in the fight against terrorism,” he said. “Our country will continue with international efforts in this common battle.”

Mohamed Abrini, the suspect in the Brussels Airport bombing of March 2016 known as “the man in the hat”, was reported to have visited the UK in July of 2015. According to the French news site Mediapart, Abrini – who failed to detonate his suitcase bomb at the airport last year and fled the scene – was arrested in the UK after visiting and photographing Old Trafford, the Manchester United stadium. However, no link with the latest attack has yet been found.

Concert venues in Belgium, meanwhile, introduced additional security measures following the November 2015 Paris attacks. Large handbags and backpacks are no longer permitted inside, and checks are strict. “After Monday night’s attack we went over everything again with our security people,” said Dirk De Clippeleir, director of concert hall Ancienne Belgique.

Meanwhile, the Nato summit will go ahead this week as planned, with the usual level of security, Jambon said. Security can always be heightened if more information of a threat becomes available.

US president Donald Trump is arriving in Brussels today for the summit, and an anti-Trump protest is planned at 17.00 at North Station.

Photo: The new Nato building in the north of Brussels will be officially inaugurated at the summit this week