Belgium: Shooting in Brussels, 2 dead, terror alert raised

Two Swedish nationals were killed and another person injured during a shooting at Place Sainctelette in Brussels on Monday evening. The attacker is believed to be on the run, according to the Belgian capital's prosecutor's office. 

National Crisis Center Spokesman Antoine Iseux said Monday evening that Belgium's OCAM threat analysis team had upgraded threat levels in Brussels to their highest level (4), with the rest of Belgium currently at level 3.

Leaders have urged citizens to remain indoors and "to be vigilant," with Federal Prosecutor's Office spokesman Eric van Duyse advising Belgians to, "Go home and stay at home as long as the threat has not been eradicated."

"I have just offered my sincere condolences to [Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson] following tonight’s harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels. Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners, the fight against terrorism is a joint one," Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on social media. 

Prime Minister De Croo suggested the attack was linked to "terrorism" and announced he had convened an emergency meeting of top Cabinet ministers.

"A horrible shooting in Brussels, and the perpetrator is actively being tracked down," said Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, adding that she had joined government talks at the National Crisis Center.

"Tonight, my thoughts are with the families of the two victims of the despicable attack in Brussels," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "I extend my heartfelt support to the Belgian police, so they swiftly apprehend the suspect. Together, we stand united against terror."

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said Europe had been "shaken" by a "terrorist attack." Speaking in the Albanian capital, Tirana, Macron said, "A few minutes ago, Brussels was hit again by an Islamist terrorist attack which apparently, as I speak to you, took the lives of at least two other Europeans, two Swedes."

Gunman reportedly claimed to be member of jihadist "Islamic State (IS)" group

The alleged gunman, who reportedly claimed to be a member of the so-called "Islamic State (IS)" Islamist terror organization, was seen wearing a fluorescent orange jacket and fled the scene on a scooter after using an automatic rifle in the assault, according to a video shared by Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. 

The paper also reported that the two victims were Swedish nationals.

A nearby 2024 European Cup qualifying match between Sweden and Belgium was abandoned when the Swedish team asked UEFA officials to call off the second half of the match and Belgium agreed.

Sweden's justice minister, on Monday evening said, "We have received terrible information from Brussels, Sweden is working intensively to get more information on what happened."

Motive unclear but signs point to Islamic terrorism

The gunman's motives remain unclear, but a video in which an Arabic-speaking man claims responsibility for the shooting circulated on social media, a source close to the case said, and Reuters news agency reported.

Belgium's federal prosecutor in charge of terrorism cases is set to take over the case to determine if there are any terror-related links.

The shooting comes at a time when countries across Europe worry about security in light of heightened tensions stemming from Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark, as well as from a recent large-scale Hamas terror attack against Israel and the Jewish state's response to it in Gaza. 

js,jcg/msh (AFP, Reuters)