The shootout began on Tuesday afternoon in Brussels' southern neighborhood of Forest. The area, which is close to a factory of German car manufacturer Audi, has been secured.

The federal prosecutor's office said in a statement that a suspect, armed with a Kalashnikov rifle, was killed during the operation. The statement ruled out that the person was Saleh Abdeslam - a key suspect in last November's Paris attacks. Abdeslam and his associate Mohamed Abrini, both from the Molenbeek area of Brussels, are still at large.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said operations were continuing after the gun battle in the southern Brussels suburb of Forest, adding that it was "linked to the attacks in Paris".

"During what was believed to be a routine search, security forces were fired on," Michel told a press conference. "That was followed by police operations which are ongoing."

Franco-Belgian operation

Three police officers were wounded during an initial search of the property on Tuesday, while a fourth was hit by gunfire during the huge police mobilization which followed.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed that French police were also involved in the operation, with one French policewoman among the wounded. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens said later, however, that the French presence was a "coincidence."

Several anti-terror raids have been carried out across the country since Islamist militants carried out a series of attacks in the French capital on November 13, killing 130 people.

ksb/kms (AFP, AFP, dpa)