Belgium’s home affairs minister said that the government does not “have control of the situation in Molenbeek,” a working-class neighborhood of Brussels that has been linked to several terrorism plots in recent years.

Speaking on the VRT television channel on Sunday, the minister, Jan Jambon, said that the government would “step up efforts” to bring order to the area of the Belgian capital.

“I see that Mayor Françoise Schepmans is also asking our help, and that the local police chief is willing to cooperate,” Mr. Jambon said. “We should join forces and clean up the last bit that needs to be done; that’s really necessary.”