2023-10-16 22:23:23
At least two people died and several others were injured by gunfire in an incident near Sainctelette Square and Ypres Boulevard in Brussels (Belgium), next to the headquarters of the Flemish Housing Fund.
The National Crisis Center of the Belgian Government announced that it raised to 4, the maximumthe terrorist threat level for the Brussels-Capital region in response to the attack.
The alleged perpetrator of the shooting published several videos on the Internet that would prove the terrorist hypothesis, in which, among other things, he identified himself as a member of the Islamic State terrorist group and advocates “avenging the Muslims.”
Two Swedish citizens died in the attack in Brussels
Two Swedish citizens were shot dead in Brussels this Monday night, in an attack that Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo described as a “cowardly attack”, amid a call for unity “in the fight against terrorism”.
Police sources cited by the regional media group Sudinfo indicate that a man opened fire indiscriminately with a Kalashnikov-type rifle shouting “Alahu akbar!” The attacker was wearing a helmet and a reflective vest and fled on a moped.
The Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden, warned of a “horrible shooting in Brussels.” “We are looking for the person responsible. The police and prosecutor’s investigation is underway. “I am following the situation and the measures to be taken with the National Crisis Center,” he explained.
A soccer match between the Belgian and Swedish national teams, at the King Baudouin stadium, was suspended before the start of the second half. The authorities asked the fans present to remain in the venue and the area was shielded.
In a video, broadcast by the digital version of the Flemish newspaper The last news, A man is seen fleeing the scene of the shooting on a small motorcycle. In these images you can hear the noise of four gunshots.
“I am now with the Ministers of Justice and the Interior at the National Crisis Center. We are following the evolution of the situation and we ask the people of Brussels to remain vigilant,” De Croo said on the X network (formerly Twitter).
The terrorist identified himself as a member of the Islamic State and sought to “avenge” Muslims
The alleged perpetrator of the shooting published several videos on the Internet that would prove the terrorist hypothesis, in which, among other things, identifies as a member of the Islamic State terrorist group and advocates “avenging the Muslims.”
In a video the alleged attacker appears in the foreground, identifies himself as Slayem Slouma and proclaims his membership in the Islamic State and boasts of having killed “three Swedes” whom he described as “infidels.”
The speech, very violent, He claims his action to “avenge Muslims in the name of those of us who live and die for our religion.”
A spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to the press the broadcast of a video in the middle of fleeing the scene, in which, according to Belgian media, he alludes to Swedish victims and suggests that he is willing to die for the cause.
In addition to the two deceased people, the Prosecutor’s Office also reported a third victim who was injured. This is a taxi driver who remains out of danger.
Belgium raised the terrorist threat level for Brussels to the maximum
The Belgian government’s National Crisis Center raised the terrorist threat level for the Brussels-Capital region to 4, the maximum, in response to the attack.
“Threat level 4 for the Brussels-Capital region. Greater vigilance is required. Avoid unnecessary travel,” the National Crisis Center published on its Twitter account.
Belgium has already been the target of several attacks claimed by the radical Islamic State group. On March 22, 2016, Brussels suffered two suicide attacks – one at Zaventem airport and another at a central Metro station – that left 35 people dead.
Since 2016, Belgium has also been the scene of several attacks against soldiers and police. In November 2022, a man armed with a knife attacked a patrol of two police officers in the Gare du Nord district of Brussels, killing one of them and seriously injuring the other.
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