An armed man apparently pointed a gun at Swedish football fans. The highest level of terrorist alert applies in Brussels. The international match between Belgium and Sweden has been cancelled. There is no connection with the events in Gaza, says the Public Ministry, but there may be an Islamic origin.
It should have been a relaxed evening of football at the King Badouin Stadium in Brussels. The Belgians had already qualified for the European Championship, while Sweden’s European Championship dream had already been shattered. But the sport quickly took a backseat in the Belgian capital on Monday night as news of the deaths of two Swedish fans spread during the first half. Filmed in Brussels, on the street. Belgium reacted quickly and declared the highest level of terrorist alert for the capital. Police confirmed Monday night that two people had been shot. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo wrote on Twitter (X) that they were Swedish citizens. The crime occurred shortly after 7 pm, near Place Sainctelette, in the north of the Belgian capital, around five and a half kilometers from the stadium, immediately before the start of the European Championship qualifiers.
According to its own statements, the Belgian Public Prosecutor’s Office has so far no evidence that there is a link between the attack in Brussels and the conflict in Gaza. The alleged perpetrator’s motive is apparently related to the victims’ Swedish citizenship, it said in a statement. Two people died and another was injured.
The suspect has not yet been arrested. “Go home and stay at home until the threat is eliminated,” said spokesman Eric van Duyse, also explaining that the attacker claimed to be inspired by the Islamic extremist organization Islamic State.
Video: Man gets off scooter and shoots
The newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws published a video on its website showing a man firing shots at an intersection. Unconfirmed images of a man who describes himself as a member of the extremist Islamic State (IS) militia and says he killed three Swedes have been shared on social media.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called on Brussels residents to be vigilant. He expressed his sincere condolences to the Swedish Prime Minister: “As close partners, the fight against terrorism is a common fight.” Verlinden, De Croo and Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne went to the National Crisis Center in the evening to further monitor the situation. closely.
Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told the Portal news agency: “Tonight we received terrible news from Brussels. The government office and relevant authorities are working hard to obtain more information about the incident.” The Swedish government is in direct contact with the Belgian government.
Sweden raised its terrorism alert to the second highest level in August and warned of an increase in threats against Swedish interests abroad. Recently, burnings of the Quran have repeatedly triggered threats from jihadists. The Swedish government has condemned the fires and is considering changes to the law that could prevent them. But critics say such measures must preserve broad freedom of expression.
Fans are trapped in the football stadium
Belgian prosecutors declined to provide details on the number of victims or any motive. According to a Belgian newspaper, the dead were probably football fans. The European Football Championship qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden in Group F in Austria was canceled at half-time on Monday night when the score was 1-1 because of the attack. The Swedish Football Association announced this on Twitter. Spectators, including around 700 Swedish fans who traveled with them, were invited via an announcement to remain at the King Baudoin Stadium.
European Commission staff were also asked, via text messages, to seek shelter in buildings or not to leave their homes. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, spoke of a “cowardly attack” and expressed her condolences to the people of Sweden. The Belgian President of the Council of the EU, Charles Michel, wrote in X: “The heart of Europe is being struck by violence. My condolences go out to the families of the victims of the deadly attack in the center of Brussels.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made similar comments. “Italy strongly condemns all forms of violence, fanaticism and terrorism and expresses its deepest solidarity with the victims and their families,” she said in a statement. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) condemned the act “in the strongest possible terms”. “We stand side by side in the fight against terrorism and extremism,” Nehammer emphasized in X. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) also condemned the attack.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that he wanted to strengthen border controls with neighboring Belgium. On Friday, a French teacher was killed by a radicalized former student at a school in northern France. Since then, the highest alert level has been in effect in the country.
Brussels is always a target of terror
Belgium has been the target of terrorist attacks several times in recent years. On March 22, 2016, three suicide bombers blew themselves up at the airport and a metro station in the capital Brussels. 35 people died and almost 700 were injured. IS claimed responsibility for the crimes.
In November 2022, also in Brussels, a man armed with a knife attacked two police officers, killing one of them and seriously injuring the other. The Federal Public Ministry opened an investigation. (APA/Ag./Red.)