BELGIAN terror cops have detained three people for questioning after carrying out house searches tonight in Brussels.

Helicopters hovered above while armed cops and troops stormed addresses in the district of Molenbeek.

6 The Belgian army has been called in to back terror cops raiding ISIS hotspot of Molenbeek Credit: Twitter

6 A major operation has been underway in the Belgian capital Credit: Twitter

6 Armed cops have been patrolling the streets of Molenbeek Credit: Twitter / @TesaArcilla

A Brussels police spokesman said: "The searches were carried out as part of an investigation by Brussels prosecutors," a spokeswoman for Brussels prosecutors said. "While nothing was found, three people were taken in for questioning."

The area - just a few miles away from the EU headquarters where border-less Europe was dreamed up - is notorious for ISIS sympathisers.

Almost always when some horrific atrocity is committed in Europe the district is linked to it.

This includes 2004 Madrid train bombings and the Brussels Jewish museum massacre in 2014.

The following year a shooting spree was foiled on a high-speed Amsterdam-Paris train.

6 Buildings in the district have been searched

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6 Belgian police officers stand guard at the scene of a security operation Credit: Reuters

More recently, jihadis also launched the sickening November 2015 Paris attacks and the Brussels attack last March.

Renowned Belgian historian Pieter Van Ostaeyen reported the army has been deployed.

He tweeted: "#Molenbeek Brussels 4 or more houses searched by police forces. Increased presence of military and police reported #Belgium"

6

Several streets were shut following the start of the raid at about 6.15pm local time (7.15pm GMT).

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