In Brussels, a man attacks two police officers with a knife. One of them does not survive the attack. Several Belgian media reports that the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” before he stabbed.
After a deadly attack on a police officer in Brussels, the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office has started investigations. A terrorist background can neither be confirmed nor ruled out, said a spokesman for the authority. Another police officer was injured in the attack. Several media reported that the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is great).
According to the Belga news agency, a police officer who came to the rescue used his service weapon against the attacker. The attack took place around 7:15 p.m. in the municipality of Schaerbeek. According to media reports, the attacker was hit by several shots. According to unconfirmed reports late in the evening, the alleged perpetrator is also said to have died.
Belgium’s Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden wrote on Twitter that she was in close contact with the police and Mayor Philippe Close. He described the incident as an unbearable tragedy. The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, wrote that she was shocked by the murder of a police officer on duty. “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased official,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted. He hopes the other officer who was taken to the hospital is fine.
Jihadists and Salafists often use the Arabic expression “Allahu Akbar” as a kind of battle cry. In fact, it is a central religious formula of Islam that has been used by Muslims worldwide for centuries. According to reports in the daily newspapers “Le Soir” and “Het Laatste Nieuws”, the suspect had announced an attack on police officers at a police station. It is still unclear why he was still able to commit the crime.