two people shot dead by fleeing gunman

2023-10-16 21:45:00

The terrorist threat weighing on Europe is confirmed. Two people of Swedish nationality were killed by gunfire early Monday evening in Brussels, near Place Sainctelette, in the northern districts of the Belgian capital, where the police were notified around 7 p.m. This then that a football match between Belgium and Sweden was taking place, definitively stopped at half-time.

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According to a video posted on the website of the Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, the shooter in a fluorescent orange jacket who was traveling on a scooter fled after using a weapon. Belgian authorities are calling on residents of the capital to be cautious while the shooter is probably still in Brussels.

The terrorist threat level has been raised to four, considered “ very serious » (maximum level) Monday evening in the Brussels region. The slogan, relayed by the prosecution, is “ to stay at home until the threat is eradicated ».

The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office responsible for terrorism cases was seized Monday evening of the investigation into the attack, said a spokesperson. The file, until then in the hands of the Brussels public prosecutor’s office, ” is federalized », Specified this spokesperson, Eric Van Duyse. The suspect in the double homicide, who left the scene on a scooter and wore a fluorescent orange jacket, is on the run.

« A few minutes ago, Brussels was hit again by an Islamist terrorist attack which apparently, as I speak to you, took the lives of at least two other Europeans, two Swedes. Our Europe is shaken up », declared Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Tirana, at the start of an official dinner offered by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Gérald Darmanin instructed Monday evening that controls at the border with Belgium be reinforced.

Videos of a suspect claiming responsibility for the attack are circulating on the networks

A video message of demand was posted on social networks by a man “ presenting himself as the attacker and claiming to be inspired by the Islamic State », Specified the spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office, Eric Van Duyse.

According to the translation of the Belgian media The evening from the video posted on the suspect’s Facebook profile, the man also says ” having avenged the Muslims », possible reference to the recent flaring up of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after the Hamas terrorist attack which left more than 1,000 dead on the Israeli side. From now on, the Israeli army IDF is shelling the Gaza Strip and calling on civilian populations to leave the enclave.

The terrorist group Hamas had called on Muslims to organize a “day of anger” on Friday October 13 and to attack Jews and Israelis. In France, an Islamist terrorist on file S murdered a French teacher, Dominique Bernard, in Arras on Friday and injured two other people in a high school.

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“We live for our religion, we die for our religion, thank God”proclaims the suspect in one of the videos, still according to the translation of the Evening. “Thank God, your brother Abdesalam avenged the Muslims, I killed three Swedes just now”he states further while the provisional report shows two deaths.

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The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, denounced a « abject attentat ». Via the social network X (formerly Twitter), Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre De Croo denounced “ an attack » and presented his “ sincere condolences » after this attack « heartbreaking ».

“As close partners, the fight against terrorism is a common fight,” he added.