Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon on Saturday urged people to refrain from participating in Sunday's planned "March Against Fear" rally, citing the current threat level, limited "police capacity" and the need to prioritize the investigation into the bombings, according to Belga news agency.

At a joint press conference with Jambon, Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur said authorities were stretched thin by ongoing investigations following Tuesday's attacks across Brussels that left more than 30 dead and hundreds injured.

"Let us allow the security services to do their work and that the march - which we, too, want to take part in - be delayed for several weeks," the mayor told reporters.

Following the press briefing, the rally's organizers announced the event's cancellation in a statement.

"The security of our citizens is an absolute priority," the organizers said.

"Consequently, we completely join the authorities in their proposal to postpone to a later date. We thus ask citizens not to come this Sunday to Brussels," the statement added.

The announcement comes as Belgium and other European countries ramp up security across the continent in the wake of Tuesday's attacks.

Security at stake

Belgian prosecutors charged three men on Saturday for involvement in a terrorist group. One of the men is believed to have participated in the planning of Tuesday's attacks, which were claimed by the self-styled "Islamic State" militant group.

In Germany, police arrested two men with suspected links to the suicide bombers in the Belgian capital last week.

Samir E., one of the suspects arrested during a raid in Düsseldorf, was reportedly deported from Turkey in mid-2015 with Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who is suspected of involvement in the attack at the Brussels airport, according to German news magazine "Der Spiegel."

Following the attacks, interior and justice ministers from EU member states called for increased intelligence sharing across the bloc to prevent a repeat of the attacks in Brussels and last November's attacks in Paris.

Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016 Bombing in Istanbul: January 12 A suicide bombing on a popular square in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, left 13 people dead and more than a dozen injured. Almost all of the dead were foreigners. The perpetrator was identified as Nabil Fadli, a Syrian devotee of the "Islamic State" (IS).

Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016 Jakarta bombings: January 14 Indonesian police commandos raided the house of a suspected terrorist in Cirebon, located on the island of Java, following the January 14, 2016, bomb attacks in Jakarta. A series of bombings in the capital left eight people dead and another 24 injured. IS claimed responsibility for the attack.

Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016 Splendid Hotel attack: January 15 Al Qaeda-backed militants attacked the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. At least 23 people from 18 countries were killed. A joint operation by French and Burkinabe forces freed many hostages.

Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016 Ankara bombing: February 17 Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed the attack on a convoy of buses, killing military personnel and civilians during the evening rush hour in Turkey's capital, Ankara. At least 29 people were killed and another 60 injured.

Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016 Hotel attack in Mogadishu: February 26 A suicide bomber rammed his car into a hotel in the Hamarweyne district of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, and then gunmen stormed the building. The attack, by militants linked to al Shabab, killed at least 15 people and left dozens wounded.

Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016 Grand-Bassam shootings: March 13 Gunmen linked to al Qaeda's North Africa branch attacked the Etoile du Sud hotel in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast. At least 18 people were killed and another 33 were injured. The hotel is popular with expats in Ivory Coast.

Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016 Ankara bombing: March 13 A car filled with explosives blew up in a public square in the heart of the Turkish capital, killing 37 people and injuring 127. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility.

Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016 Brussels bombings: March 22 At least 34 people were killed and more than 170 injured in coordinated attacks in Brussels. Two blasts occurred at the departures area of Brussels Airport at about 8 a.m. One hour later, an explosion hit Maelbeek metro station, which is close to the main EU buildings. Author: Aasim Saleem



ls/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)