Terrorist attack in Brussels: the killer was inspired by the Islamic State group

Two Swedish citizens were shot dead and one wounded in an attack in Brussels yesterday that prosecutors are calling terrorism.

Brussels is in a state of heightened terrorist alert – a criminal, apparently armed with a machine gun, remains at large. Belgian federal prosecutor spokesman Eric van Duys urged people to “go home and stay there until the threat is eliminated,” writes Air Force.

Federal prosecutors say a terrorist investigation has been launched into the Boulevard d’Ypres shooting. writes publication of “News of Israel”. Two people were killed in a terrorist attack that took place on Monday October 16 in the center of Brussels. Eyewitnesses claim that the terrorist fired and shouted “Allahu Akbar”. They say the attacker managed to say: he is an IS activist and is seeking revenge for a 6-year-old Palestinian boy who was stabbed to death on October 15 in the United States amid a Hamas attack on Israel. There are conflicting reports about the weapon the terrorist used. Some sources indicate an assault rifle, others a rifle.

On video on social networks, published by Het Laatste Nieuws on Monday, but not confirmed by BBC News, a man in a fluorescent jacket is seen getting off a scooter, armed with what appears to be a machine gun, and entering a nearby glass-fronted building. It appears he then shot and killed at least one person. A man who identified himself as the attacker and spoke Arabic said in a video on social media that he was inspired by the Islamic State group. He says he carried out the attack in the name of Allah and killed three people. This and other videos uploaded during the attack are being verified by police, the BBC reported.

Police and emergency services cordoned off nearby roads after the shooting, which happened around 7:00 pm (1700 GMT). Belgian media report: two of those killed were wearing Sweden national team jerseys. A few kilometers from the site of the attack there is a stadium where a football match between the national teams of Sweden and Belgium was held. Due to the attack, the game was stopped and the Euro 2024 qualifying match was subsequently cancelled. The Swedish players told UEFA that they did not want to play the second half of the match, and the Belgian team agreed, TV6 reported. 30 minutes after the first half, which ended 1-1, the stadium announcer confirmed that the players had decided not to restart the match.

Photos taken by a local resident show a man wearing a fluorescent orange jacket and white helmet, holding a gun, getting on a scooter and running away from the scene. Law enforcement officers are looking for suspects in the shooting – it is unknown whether we are talking about one person or several. At the same time, according to Le Soir, The version of the terrorist attack is now a priority for Belgian law enforcement: videos posted by the possible attacker on the Internet indicate his involvement in the Islamic State. The Brussels region’s terror threat level has been raised to level 4, the highest, “due to a serious and imminent threat.”

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo yesterday expressed his “sincere condolences to the Swedish Prime Minister over today’s heartbreaking attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels”:

“Our thoughts are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones. As close partners, the fight against terrorism is a joint one.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media that her thoughts “are with the families of the two victims of the disgusting attack in Brussels”: “I wholeheartedly support the Belgian police to quickly apprehend the suspect. Together we are united against terror.”

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