A man detained near a central Brussels shopping centre early on Tuesday was not carrying explosives, a security source told Reuters.

The man had been held near the City2 shopping centre at around 5.30 in the morning, triggering a meeting of the prime minister and the national crisis response centre.

"A man was arrested at 5.30 this morning, possibly in possession of explosives. The bomb disposal team of the army is verifying whether this is the case," a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor had previously said.

Source: In-Cyprus