Brussels police have detained a man suspected of murdering two Swedes. This was reported by AFP with reference to Eric Van Duys, a representative of the Belgian prosecutor’s office. At the same time, local media write about the murder of the suspect.
“This man claims that he is inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS, an organization banned in Russia and recognized as terrorist. – Vedomosti),” he said (quoted by France24).
The prosecutor’s office clarified that the man was detained in the urban commune of Schaerbeek. During the arrest, the police opened fire. Duys did not specify whether the detainee was wounded. He noted that the investigation allows for a “terrorist motivation” for the murder.
At the same time, the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, citing sources writesthat the suspect was shot dead by police in a cafe in Schaerbeek. According to the publication, a shootout occurred between the police and the man, as a result of which the latter was neutralized. It is noted that the weapons used in the attack on the Swedes were found on him.
TV channel RTBF also assertsthat the man was liquidated in Schaerbeek. According to the TV channel, his name is Abdelsaleme L. The suspect was wounded in the chest and was hospitalized.
Later, Het Laatste Nieuws reported that information about the fate of the suspect varies: according to some sources, he allegedly died in an ambulance, according to others, he could have been resuscitated.
On October 16, two Swedish citizens were killed in Brussels, who, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, were football fans. Another person was also injured. The prosecutor’s office said it was a taxi driver, writes Reuters. The attacker fled the crime scene.
The Belgian Threat Assessment Coordination Authority (OCAD) has raised the threat level for Brussels to level four (very serious and imminent threat) and Belgium to level three (severe). On this day, the Euro 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden was supposed to take place in Brussels, due to the incident the game canceled.
The alleged attacker, who identified himself as Abdesalem Al-Gilani, posted a video on social media in which he claimed to be a member of the Islamic State and introduced himself as a “fighter for Allah.” He added that he had “taken revenge for the Muslims.”
