After the fatal attack on two Swedes in Brussels, Belgian police shot and killed the perpetrator. It was initially unclear whether he was still alive, as Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden told broadcaster VRT on Tuesday morning. Brussels Mayor Philippe Close also confirmed the arrest. “The perpetrator has been neutralized,” he told the Belga news agency, which, citing police sources, also reported an exchange of fire with the suspected Islamist.
Initially, the man struck down by the police still had to be identified, the federal public prosecutor’s office previously said. The police found a weapon on him that could be the weapon used in the murder attempt on Monday evening.
The investigators are investigating indications of an Islamist motive. The suspected assassin, who fled overnight, is known to the authorities: it can already be said that it is a 45-year-old Tunisian who applied for asylum in Belgium in November 2019, said Justice Minister Vincent van Quickenborne early morning. The police noticed him in connection with human trafficking, illegal residence and endangering state security.
Highest terror alert level
The highest level of terror was declared for the Belgian capital last night. Because of a “potentially terrorist motive,” the federal public prosecutor’s office took over the investigation. Some media reported that the shooting could have an Islamist background.
De Croo said that because the threat level for Brussels had been upgraded to the highest level, there would now be an increased police presence. Increased security measures would also be implemented in a number of sensitive locations, particularly those associated with the Swedish community. There are also increased controls in the rest of the country. De Croo called on everyone in Brussels to be more vigilant. The National Security Council is scheduled to meet in the afternoon.
Early yesterday evening, according to the Belga news agency, an armed man got off a scooter in the north of the city center and fired shots on the street. When several people fled into a house entrance, he is said to have chased them and shot them. The police did not initially confirm this information. According to the public prosecutor’s office, a third victim, a taxi driver, is now out of danger.
European Championship qualifier canceled
The two Swedes died around five kilometers away from the Brussels football stadium, where the national teams of Belgium and Sweden were playing against each other in a European Championship qualifier. The game was canceled. The news of the deaths of the two Swedes spread during half-time. According to the Swedish TV channel SVT, the Swedish national team players then decided not to continue the game. The Belgian national players would have joined in. For safety reasons, several thousand people initially had to stay in the Brussels football stadium until they could be evacuated.
It is not the first time that people have fallen victim to an attack in Brussels. The trial of the 2016 Brussels terrorist attacks only ended around four weeks ago. Three suicide bombers from the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) detonated bombs at Brussels’ Zaventem airport and in a subway station in the heart of the Belgian capital. They killed over 30 people and injured 340. The bereaved were also stunned by media reports at the time that several of the defendants had been monitored by the Belgian security authorities before the attacks – and were still able to carry out their bloody acts later.
Swedish nationality possible motivation
According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, a post by a person who posed as the attacker and claimed to be inspired by the terrorist organization Islamic State was shared on social networks. A video is also being shared online that is supposed to show the crime.
The Belga news agency quoted a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office as saying that the victims’ Swedish nationality could also be a motivation for the crime. This year, people in Sweden and later also in Denmark burned copies of the Koran several times, triggering angry reactions among Muslims. All this caused diplomatic trouble for the Scandinavian countries.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called on his compatriots in Belgium to be cautious and vigilant. De Croo expressed his sincere condolences to Kristersson: “As close partners, the fight against terrorism is a common fight.” However, the spokesman for the Federal Prosecutor’s Office made it clear that there was so far no connection between the attack and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Von der Leyen: “Cowardly attack”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of a “cowardly attack” and expressed her condolences to the people of Sweden. Belgian EU Council President Charles Michel wrote on X: “The heart of Europe is being hit by violence. My condolences go out to the families of the victims of the deadly attack in the center of Brussels.” The Belgian Royal Palace said it was “shocked” and expressed its “support for the security forces who are doing everything they can to catch the perpetrator of the crimes,” it said X
The Council of Muslims in Belgium condemned the attack. He called on the authorities “to exercise the utmost determination to protect our national community and shed light on the issue as quickly as possible.”
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