Machete-wielding man shot dead in Brussels

The area has been flooded with police after a machete-wielding man was shot dead. Photo / 123RF File

By Scott Campbell

A machete-wielding man has been shot dead by after attacking a group of soldiers in Brussels - near a street where Isis called for vehicle attacks just days ago.

Witnesses reported hearing "two bangs" amid a heavy police presence on Boulevard Emile Jacqmain in the city centre - with two troops injured in the incident.

The area has been flooded with police and cordons are in place, according to pictures from the scene, the Daily Mail reports.

Witness Ryan MacDonald wrote on Twitter: "Sound of gunshot, heavy police presence outside on Boulevard Emile Jacqmain, Brussels."

Another said: "Heard two bangs and loads of sirens in Brussels, anyone know what's happening?"

Emergency services are believed to have attempted to resuscitate the attacker but he died at the scene.

Just days ago jihadis urged attacks on a street just metres away from the scene of tonight's incident.

A chilling post on the Telegram app called for vehicles to mow down pedestrians on nearby Rue Neuve - where a man wearing a fake suicide belt also triggered a bomb alert last year.

That incident began after reports of a person acting suspiciously near the City 2 Shopping Centre.

A Brussels police spokesman said at the time: "The man was arrested, but it turned out that his suicide belt was fake. It contained salt and biscuits."