BRUSSELS: Brussels struggled to return to normal on Wednesday after four days on maximum terror alert, with schools and the metro reopening despite two suspects from the Paris attacks still being at large.

Troops and police were still patrolling the streets of the Belgian capital and the alert status remained at the highest possible level of four, leading to questions about what had changed since schools had closed on Monday.

“It’s not very reassuring, is it?,” said Sarah, who runs a private nursery in Brussels. “If it wasn’t safe to open on Monday and Tuesday, why is it now?”.

For two days parents scrambled to cope with the extraordinary decision to close schools which authorities said was necessary to foil an imminent Paris-style attack by jihadists.

“I had decided to not bring my kids to school this morning, but changed my mind late last night. Life must go on,” said a 47-year-old father who drove his two daughters to school.

“Thank goodness we only have a half day today,” said Marc, 14, as he boarded a school bus, adding that he fully enjoyed the two extra days off from school.

The Brussels metro system had been closed since Saturday and gradually returned to service, but with many stops still shut to better deploy security staff.

Car traffic was also backed up more than usual in Brussels, already one of Europe’s most congested cities.

About 300 extra police from other cities in Belgium were sent to Brussels to guard schools and 200 extra soldiers helped patrol the metro.At the French Lycee in a posh Brussels suburb paratroopers cradled automatic rifles at the top of the small street leading to the school.

“I’m not reassured... this school is a symbol,” said mother Godeleve, as dozens of French parents dropped off their children.

Across town, the huge Kinepolis cinema multiplex reopened with added security by local police. Public museums and concert halls also returned to normal.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2015