Two Swedish citizens were murdered this Monday afternoon in the center of Brussels and two other people were injured after an attack with an automatic weapon. It is a “cowardly terrorist attack”, according to the authorities, whose perpetrator, a man between 25 and 40 years old, fled on a motorcycle. The Police have so far only confirmed the deaths, although they are aware that several videos of a man who, on behalf of the Islamic State, claims responsibility for the attack are circulating on social media.
“I have just offered my deepest condolences to the Swedish government following tonight’s horrific attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels. Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners, the fight against terrorism is joint. “Right now I am with the Ministers of Justice and the Interior at the national crisis center. We are monitoring the situation and we ask the residents of Brussels to be attentive,” said Prime Minister Alexander de Croo. The threat assessment center, Ocam, has risen to 4, its maximum, the alert level, synonymous with a serious and imminent threat. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office, competent in terrorism cases, is already investigating.
The details are not clear but both the Government and the agents are sure that it is an attack. Operations are underway. In several videos spread on social networks, the suspect presents himself as a jihadist and claims to belong to the Islamic State.
The first video that circulates, and that the Federal Police asks that it not be disseminated, shows the alleged perpetrator shooting in the street and chasing two people to the entrance of a building and then finishing them off on the ground. It is recorded from afar, only an orange vest, a helmet and an automatic weapon can be seen.
The second, still unverified, is from a man who in Arabic seems to vindicate his actions on behalf of the Islamic State and the Caliphate, in which he shows his anger at the deaths and humiliations of Muslims around the world and swears revenge. In a Facebook post, the man introduces himself and explains “having avenged the Muslims.” “We live for our religion, we die for our religion, thank God,” he said in one of them. “Thank God, your brother Abdesalam avenged the Muslims, I just killed three Swedes,” he continues proudly. According to official sources, only two people lost their lives and not three.
According to Le Soir, this person would have been attacking Israel throughout the day and crying out against the Islamophobic murder of a six-year-old child in the United States.
Law enforcement agencies have confirmed that the murder took place shortly after 7:00 p.m. in the vicinity of Place Sainctelette and Boulevard d’Ypres. In the second mentioned video, which some analysts consider to be from a man of Tunisian origin, the suspect would have boasted of having killed three Swedes. The link would lead to the burning of copies of the Koran in Stockholm in recent months, something that generated protests in the Middle East and many death threats, although there is no confirmation in this regard at the moment.
Although it cannot be seen in the images, one of the local media suggests that two of the victims would have been wearing t-shirts of the Nordic team, which today faces Belgium at the King Baudouin Stadium in the capital. And controls have been multiplied due to fear that the murderer could be on his way to the area to continue his killing. The emergency management center explained late into the night that possible ways to escort match spectators back to their homes are being studied, amid fears that there may be more shots fired.
Swedish public radio has reported that their country’s team wanted to stop the match at half-time, but authorities felt it was safer to keep them, and the public, inside for safety reasons, at least while everything could be properly cordoned off. the perimeter. The match, in the end, was also suspended and local authorities are considering closing some metro stations.
The city was deserted at nightfall and the Police have asked that all possible movements be avoided. After the jihadist attacks of 2016, the city was silenced and classes and access to all types of public places were suspended for days, given that those responsible were missing and there was a lot of fear. Curiously, a football match between Spain and Belgium was also pending then, which was finally postponed.
Another local French-speaking media suggests that the murderer had shouted “Allah is great”, but neither the authorities nor the rest of the newspapers, radios or televisions have been able to confirm it for the moment, despite the fact that images of a motorcyclist are also circulating, with orange clothes, riding through the streets of the city on a motorcycle shouting precisely that phrase.
“This afternoon there was a shooting in Brussels. There are victims. Out of respect for them, we ask that you do not share any images or videos related to this incident,” the National Crisis Center wrote on its X account, formerly Twitter. . The Prime Minister, the Minister of the Interior and Justice are at the center of the crisis following the situation.
France has announced that it is strengthening border controls with Belgium, recalling how in past attacks, in both countries, the perpetrators were able to move freely, even passing police examinations.