Terrorist attack in Brussels: Suspect in killing of two swedes shot dead by police during arrest

This is reported by Le Soir.

The police launched a substantial operation to detain the suspect in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek. This necessitated the evacuation of local residents and the cordoning off of the area.

During this operation, the male suspect was shot by the police and subsequently succumbed to his injuries in the hospital at 9:38 a.m.

Belgium's Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden, disclosed that the individual had been identified, and the machine gun used in the Brussels shooting was recovered in his possession.

The BBC and HLN wrote about the shooting earlier. 

The incident transpired at 7:00 p.m. local time, near the Boulevard d'Ypres. Early reports indicated that the assailant used an automatic rifle. The victims were believed to be of Swedish nationality.

The Swedish national football team was engaged in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Belgium, though it remains uncertain whether any casualties occurred in the city during the match.

Witnesses reported that the assailant shouted "Allah akbar," and the attacker himself proclaimed in a video message that he was an ISIS member. A video circulating on social media features a man speaking in Arabic, avowing his act as retribution for Muslims and taking responsibility for the two Swedish casualties.

"In a highly aggressive speech, he claimed to have shot two individuals in the name of avenging Muslims," the media sources stated.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo urged Brussels residents to exercise vigilance.

The city's terrorism threat level has been escalated to level 4, indicating a "serious and highly imminent" threat. The qualifying match was halted and postponed, with two nearby metro stations closed. Panic ensued within the stadium as attendees rapidly departed.

Concurrently, France fortified its border with Belgium.

Local publication Het Laatste reported the shooting took place around 7:15 p.m. local time. Information from sources suggests one individual was shot at the entrance of a residence, while two others were injured in a taxi. All the victims were Swedish citizens.

According to police sources cited by hln.be, two individuals lost their lives, and one additional person sustained injuries, but their life is not in peril.