Man arrested with Kalashnikov automatic rifle at Brussels train station

BRUSSELS - Belgian police on Sept 3 arrested a man in possession of a Kalashnikov automatic rifle at one of the main train stations in Brussels, a source close to the investigation told AFP.The incident comes as authorities in the city have stepped up efforts to clamp down on gang violence related to drug trafficking after a spate of shooting incidents.The man was detained mid-morning as he got off a train with the weapon in a bag at Bruxelles Midi station, home to a Eurostar international terminal, the source said.Belgian media reported that the suspect had arrived on a train from France, but there was no official confirmation.“I can confirm that an arrest took place this morning. This demonstrates that the stepped-up patrols at stations, with the assistance of our military, are necessary and must be continued or expanded,” interior minister Bernard Quintin said in a statement.The recent wave of gun violence has rattled the Belgian capital, which hosts the headquarters of the European Union.In late August, several people were injured in a string of incidents, including one in which two masked gunmen open fire on a police station. AFP