Extra security checks on international trains following Friday's shooting

There will be additional security checks in Belgium's international trains and stations, announced Prime Minister Charles Michel after consultation with the National Security Council of Belgium. The meeting was called following Friday's incident in which an armed man was overpowered on the Thalys train between Amsterdam and Paris.

The man, a Moroccan national who lived in Spain, boarded the Thalys train at Brussels Midi and opened fire when the train was in France. He was overpowered by other passengers before he could cause a bloodbath. Three people were wounded.

All international trains will be more thoroughly checked by French and Belgian security specialists, according to the Council. There will also be increased patrols within the stations, including luggage searches.

France is in charge of the investigation, but Belgium has also opened an investigation into the identity of the shooter, with the federal prosecutor examining camera images from Brussels Midi Station and talking with friends and relatives of the suspect. 

Michel wants to sit around the table with neighbouring countries the Netherlands, France and Germany to discuss security on international trains, and more specifically stricter controls on luggage and passenger identity.