Bomb Scare at Military Base in Belgium
Masked man accused of trying to ram car into military base.
LONDON— -- A masked man was arrested in Belgium after trying to ram a car initially thought to be carrying explosives into the front gate of a military base in Namur, south of Brussels.
Authorities declined to respond to questions from ABC News but Belgian news agency Belga reported that the man was arrested after a short manhunt and that no one was injured.
“There are no elements suggesting that the suspect was acting with accomplices,” prosecutor Vincent Macq told Belga.
Macq later confirmed at a news conference that no explosives or weapons were found in the suspect’s car. His motives remain unclear.
“Terrorism does not seem to be the motive here but all options are being investigated,” Macq told reporters, adding that the suspect had been a para-commando candidate in 2010 and was dressed in military-style clothing.
The man, born in 1983 in Namur, reportedly fled the scene after coming under heavy fire from soldiers, officials said. The suspect's car was found in a field nearby, and he is thought to have then fled by foot.
The prosecutor said the suspect did not seem to be well-informed, because most of the soldiers from the 2nd Commando Battalion are in training in Spain.
Belgium has been on high alert for terror attacks since May 2014 when four people were killed by an assailant at a Jewish museum in Brussels.