AFP, BRUSSELS: Several attackers rammed a car through the gates of Belgium’s national crime laboratory on Monday in Brussels and then started a fire in what prosecutors said may have been an attempt to destroy evidence.
Five people were arrested nearby and are being questioned, but there is no confirmed link to terrorism so far. No one was injured in the fire or by a large explosion which shook houses nearby, the city’s prosecutors said.
The incident comes as Belgium remains on high alert following suicide attacks on the city’s airport and metro in March which were claimed by the Islamic State group.
“Several attackers forced their way into the institute using their car and were able to attack the building,” said Ine Van Wymersch, a spokesman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office.
“The possibility of a terrorist act is not confirmed. It goes without saying that several individuals may have wanted to destroy evidence related to their legal cases.”