Seven were detained in Brussels, two reportedly in Germany and one in Paris.

An investigation is continuing into Tuesday`s bomb attacks, which killed 31 people in Brussels and have been linked to November`s Paris attacks.

At least three explosions were reported in the Schaerbeek suburb of Brussels in a police operation.

The operation is now said to have finished.

Media reports said a man with a backpack had been "neutralised" during the operation after refusing to obey police orders, and an area near Meiser square was sealed off by heavily armed police and military vehicles.

The man was later said to be injured.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing police shoot in the legs a man armed with a machine gun who had emerged from an underpass.

Belgian TV showed bomb disposal personnel at the scene.

A local resident, named as Marios, said there was gunfire as well.

"I heard two very loud shots, I don`t know what they were," he told the BBC.

"Immediately within seconds police arrived... The streets were evacuated... And it`s still going on. And I just heard another gunshot."

Schaerbeek is one of the districts where arrests were carried out on Thursday. French police sources say the current raid is also linked to Thursday evening`s operation in a Paris suburb during which another attack was apparently foiled.

`Je suis Bruxellois`

US Secretary of State John Kerry, visiting Brussels, said that so-called Islamic State (IS) would be destroyed.

Standing alongside Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, he expressed condolences for the victims and solidarity with Belgium, declaring "Je suis Bruxellois".

The Western alliance would continue its fight to destroy IS, Mr Kerry said.

"We will not be intimidated. We will not be deterred."

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