This Monday, in the center of Brussels (Belgium), two people were killed and a third was wounded as a result of shooting, the Belgian press reports, which speaks of suspicions of terrorism. The attacker is hiding.
The attack occurred shortly after 19:00 local time (18:00 in Lisbon), killing two people of Swedish nationality who were in the Belgian capital to watch the match between Sweden and Belgium.
According to the Associated Press, the attacker fired several times near the station using a large-caliber weapon. The man will shout: ““Allahu akbar” (“God is great” in Portuguese) during the shooting.
Police spokeswoman Ilse Vande Keer said police quickly arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area.
A Belgian federal prosecutor said the attacker claimed to have been inspired by Daesh and was motivated by the nationality of the victims.
The suspect posted a video on Facebook in which he claims to have killed “three Swedes” and indicates that he is a “fighter for Allah” acting on behalf of Daesh (IS). “We live and die by our faith,” he said.
The fugitive also stated that the motive for the shooting was the recent death of a Muslim boy in the United States.
Meeting cancelled.
The match between Sweden and Belgium at the Heysel Stadium, about 5 kilometers from the scene of the incident, was abandoned at half-time after the visiting players refused to return to the field. The match, which ended 1-1, was not restarted and fans were advised to remain in the stadium for a while.
People present in the stands left the ground only at 23:30, and the Swedes were warned, according to COPE chainhiding accessories that could identify them.
Brussels at highest threat level
Belgium’s threat level has been raised to three, with the exception of Brussels, which remains at four, the highest threat level.
“Following the deadly shooting in the center of Brussels, OCAD is raising the threat level for Brussels to Level 4. This means the threat is very serious and imminent. The overall threat level for Belgium will be raised to level 3 (severe threat). These threat levels will remain in effect until we receive more information,” the Threat Assessment Coordinating Body said, as quoted by Nieves Blood.
Marcelo in Brussels.
The President of the Republic, who is in Brussels on a state visit to Belgium, considered it premature to connect the attack with the situation in the Middle East.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke to reporters at a hotel in Brussels after canceling a trip to a Portuguese bar to watch a Portuguese national team soccer match, as Belgian authorities recommended, following the attack that left two people dead.
According to the head of state, “at the moment it is premature to establish a connection between this and what is happening in the Middle East.”