Explosive belt found in Paris suburb

France and Belgium have launched a manhunt following the attacks that killed 130 people, with a focus on Brussels barkeeper Salah Abdeslam, 26, who returned to the city from Paris hours after the attacks and is still at large.

Having sifted the rubble and passed it through metal detectors, police were perplexed to find only one handgun, French radio network RTL reported.

The discovery of the suicide belt appears to fit with the chain of events that Paris police are working to.

The belt was found near where Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam was traced to on the night of the attacks. His brother, Brahim, detonated a suicide belt in the attacks.

An explosive belt has been found in the southern Paris suburb of Montrouge, French police said.

Meanwhile Belgium said it will maintain its level of security measures to contain a possible attack at least until Monday.

Meanwhile, Belgian prime minister Charles Michel has said that the alert level in Brussels will remain at the highest rating for the time being, although schools and the capital’s subway will begin to reopen on Wednesday.

He said: “We do our utmost to keep the situation under control”. Potential targets remained shopping areas and public transport.

That has prompted speculation about Abdeslam’s precise movements on the night of the attacks. He has yet to be found.

Belgian authorities arrested a suspect on terrorism related charges Monday after a series of raids that saw 21 people detained between Sunday night and midday Monday.

Armed guards walk side-by-side with shoppers.

Residents have been told to stay home for the third day in a row with schools, shops, metro stations, universities and offices all closed as authorities hunt a suspected terrorist on the run since the deadly attacks in Paris last Friday.

In Belgium, prosecutors said they had charged a fourth person with terrorist offences linked to the Paris attacks.

It detained 16 people in raids in Brussels and Charleroi on Sunday evening.

“They were unable to intercept him, and he was last seen heading along the E40 road in the direction of Germany”, said a source close to the investigation into the Paris attacks.

US President Barack Obama has pointed to an “increasing awareness” by Russian president Vladimir Putin of the need to eradicate the threat from IS as efforts continued to forge a co-ordinated response.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron says he wants Brtiain to join air strikes against Islamic State militants.

The ministry said four Rafale fighter jets were sent from the carrier on Monday afternoon.