#englishnews #Belgian
News Article :-
A gunman suspected of killing two Swedish nationals in a terrorist attack in Brussels has died after being shot by police, bringing an end to an overnight manhunt.
The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Tuesday that the suspect, whose identity is yet to be confirmed, has been killed.
Public broadcaster RTBF reported earlier that the suspect was killed during a police operation Tuesday morning in the Cage aux Ours district in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek, northeast of of the capital. He was carrying a weapon, RTBF reported.
CNN has reached out to the offices of Belgium’s Prime Minister, Interior Minister and Federal Prosecutor for more information.
The suspected gunman’s deadly attack Monday night came as Belgium hosted Sweden in a Euro 2024 qualifier soccer game at the King Baudouin Stadium 3 miles (5 kilometers) from downtown Brussels, forcing the match to be abandoned at half-time.
In a video posted on social media, a man identifying himself as the gunman claimed “to be inspired by the Islamic State,” a spokesperson for Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office said, adding “the Swedish nationality of the victims was mentioned as a probable motivation for the act.”
“At this stage, there are no indications of a potential link with the Israeli-Palestinian situation. On the basis of both the facts and the claim, security measures have been taken as a matter of urgency to protect Swedish fans as much as possible,” spokesperson Eric Van Duyse said during a news conference.
The deadly shooting follows a spate of Quran-burning protests in Sweden and Denmark that has caused angry demonstrations in Muslim-majority countries, heightened security fears and left both Scandinavian nations questioning whether they need to review their liberal laws on freedom of speech.
Belgian authorities condemned the attack.
“Horrified by the terrorist attack that claimed two victims in the heart of Brussels,” Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “All necessary means must be mobilized to combat radicalism. Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families, and our police forces.”
Following the attack, the terror threat level for Brussels was raised to 4, the highest level, while the French Interior Ministry told CNN it has “strengthened” checks at the Franco-Belgian border.
Police were on the streets of Brussels to ensure safety, the city’s mayor Philippe Close posted on X.
“Following the shooting in Brussels, police services are mobilizing to guarantee safety in and around our capital, in collaboration with the Minister of the Interior,” Close said. “I am at the crisis center… to ensure coordination.”
In a post on X, Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo offered “deepest condolences to the relatives of this cowardly attack.”
“I am closely following the situation, together with the Ministers of Justice
