Brussels on high alert as two Swedes killed in shooting and suspect remains
at large
Belgium’s prime minister suggests attack that left two dead is linked to
‘terrorism’

Staff and agencies in Brussels
Mon 16 Oct 2023 21.25 BST

Brussels is on its highest level of security alert after two Swedes were
shot dead in in the centre of the city, and Belgium’s prime minister
suggested the attack was linked to “terrorism”.

“I have just offered my sincere condolences to @SwedishPM following
tonight’s harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels,” Alexander De
Croo tweeted, adding: “As close partners the fight against terrorism is a
joint one.”

Police warned the suspect remained on the run.

The alleged gunman, wearing a fluorescent orange jacket, fled the scene
after using an automatic rifle, according to a video shared by the Flemish
newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

Media reports aired amateur videos showing a man firing several shots near
a station using a large weapon, and Belgian broadcasters said the two
victims were Swedes.

The Swedish national football team had been scheduled to play Belgium at
Heysel Stadium later in the evening, about 3 miles (5km) away but the match
was cancelled, and the crowd was instructed to stay inside the stadium.

“A horrible shooting in Brussels, and the perpetrator is actively being
tracked down,” said the interior minister, Annelies Verlinden, adding that
she was joining government talks at the National Crisis Centre.

A video claiming responsibility for the shooting was circulating on social
media, in which a man speaks Arabic, a source close to the case said.

A police spokesperson, Ilse Vande Keere, said officers arrived at the scene
and sealed off the immediate neighbourhood. She declined to elaborate on
the circumstances of the shooting.

The threat level in the Belgian capital was raised to level 4, and in the
rest of the country to level 3.

Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, which represents
member states in Europe, said: “The heart of Europe is hit by violence.

“My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the deadly attack in
the centre of Brussels.”

My support for the Belgian authorities and security services who are
monitoring the situation.”

EU sources said concerns had been growing that the Israeli-Hamas conflict
would increase security risks in Europe, with a rise in antisemitic attacks
already seen in the UK.

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/16/people-killed-brussels-shooting-police-say>

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