Maximum terrorist alert in Brussels: Deadly shooting, suspect on the run
Brussels is in shock following a terrible terrorist attack which broke out around 7 p.m., leaving at least two dead and several injured. The attacker, who allegedly claimed responsibility for his actions and his affiliation with the Islamic State in a video, is currently on the run. The tragedy occurred while fans were attending a football match between Belgium and Sweden, forcing them to remain confined until further notice.
Two Swedish victims
On Monday evening, at least two people, believed to be Swedish nationals, died following gunfire in Brussels, Belgium. According to a video posted on the website of the Flemish newspaper “Het Laatste Nieuws”, the shooter wearing a fluorescent orange jacket and riding a scooter fled after using an automatic weapon.
The public prosecutor’s office in the Belgian capital confirmed the tragedy, stressing that the suspect was still on the run. A video claiming responsibility for the double murder, in which a man speaks in Arabic, was widely shared on social networks, according to a source close to the investigation.
Federal investigation into attack
The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office, responsible for terrorism cases, immediately took charge of the investigation into this attack which cost the lives of at least two people in Brussels. Eric Van Duyse, spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office, clarified that the file, previously in the hands of the Brussels public prosecutor’s office, was now federalized. The suspect in the double homicide, having fled on a scooter and wearing a fluorescent orange jacket, is actively sought. Due to the seriousness of the situation, the football match between Belgium and Sweden, taking place at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels, has been suspended.
Use of an automatic weapon
According to a video posted on the website of the Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, the shooter, wearing a fluorescent orange jacket and riding a scooter, fled after using an automatic weapon, firing at least four shots. . The events took place near Place Sainctelette, in the northern districts of the Belgian capital.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, immediately ordered a strengthening of controls at the border with Belgium to prevent other similar incidents.
Reactions from European leaders
Traveling to Tirana, the capital of Albania, President Emmanuel Macron expressed his concern about this “Islamist terrorist attack” which hit Brussels, stressing that Europe was currently shaken. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly condemned the attack, calling it an attack carried out “in the heart of Europe.” She added that she was closely following developments in Brussels and expressed her condolences to the victims and their families.
For her part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described the attack as a “despicable attack” and stressed the need for a united response from the European Union to such acts of violence.
