A gunman was arrested in Belgium today after an attempted terrorist attack on a military base using a car feared packed with explosives.

The assault happened soon after 9am in the village of Flawinne, east of Charleroi, where a commando unit is stationed.

Shots were fired after a dark blue Ford Escort was driven through a perimeter fence towards the barracks, said a judicial source from nearby Namur.

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Shots were fired after the car (pictured) was driven through a perimeter fence towards the barracks, said a judicial source from nearby Namur

A member of the bomb squad investigates a suspect car parked in a field outside the barracks in Flawinne

The car was abandoned in a field and could be seen covered in bullet holes and with its front tyres deflated

Belgian police officers stand guard at a gate of a military barracks in Flawinne, Belgium, after a man wearing a balaclava tried to force his car through the gates. Several shots were fired, but no one was hurt

'The car did not get through the gates,' said the source. 'There was a brief gunfight and then the masked man fled from the scene. He appeared to be acting alone.'

The car was abandoned in a ploughed field, and could be seen covered in bullet holes and with its front tyres deflated.

The so far unidentified attacker meanwhile tried to run away but was captured after a manhunt led by a police helicopter Belgium defence ministry spokesman Tony Langone said 'bomb disposal experts' were en route, as the abandoned car was thought to be packed with explosives.

He said nobody was hurt in the initial incident, but the man had been 'armed and dangerous' and a 'potential threat to everyone in the area'.

Officials said no one was hurt in the incident. Police are pictured patrolling the perimeter of the barracks

Belgium defence minister Tony Langone said 'bomb disposal experts' were en route, as the abandoned car was thought to be packed with explosives

Members of a Belgian special unit leave the military barracks. The assault happened soon after 9am in the village of Flawinne, east of Charleroi, where a commando unit is stationed

A Belgian soldier stands guard at a gate of a military barracks. Only around 50 military personnel are currently in Flawinne, as those normally based there are on an exercise overseas

Mr Langone confirmed that the man was arrested by anti-terrorist police 'soon after midday'.

A witness told Belgium media: 'I live 100 meters from the base. Police wearing bullet proof jackets have sealed off the surrounding area, and I can't get home.'

The Ford Escort was later identified as being registered to an owner in the nearby village of Belgrade.

It was likely to have been stolen, said a police source. Only around 50 military personnel are currently in Flawinne, as those normally based there are on an exercise overseas.

Pictures showed the car covered in bullet holes, and with its front tyres shot out, in a ploughed field on the edge of the camp

Witnesses at the scene said a military bomb squad had arrived on the site as well as a SWAT team

These include members of the 2nd Commando Battalion, which is made up of 650 soldiers.

Belgium has been the scene of some extremely serious terrorist incidents in recent months, much of them linked to local-born radicals.

Two Jihadis who had fought in Syria were shot dead in Verviers in January, following a commando raid on a group believed to be planning an atrocity days after the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris.