After the deadly knife attack on police officers in Brussels, the Belgian anti-terror prosecutor’s office is investigating. More details about the murder are coming out. The alleged perpetrator had been taken to a psychiatric ward after revealing his bloody act at a police station hours earlier – which he left a short time later. On Thursday evening, the man finally attacked two police officers with a knife. One of the police officers died on the spot, the second was injured.
After the attack, a terrorist motive is now being investigated and the Public Prosecution Service has also confirmed in connection with the crime that the alleged attacker stated at a police station on Thursday morning that he wanted to attack the police. The person was escorted to a psychiatric ward and handed over to staff there. When officials later contacted the facility again, it was found that the man had again left the hospital.
Attacker shot
On Thursday evening, the man finally stabbed the officers near the Gare du Nord station in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels, while allegedly yelling “Allahu akbar”. A police officer who was subpoenaed to back up shot the attacker and “put him out of action”. The man was arrested and taken to a hospital. According to media reports, he was shot in the stomach and leg.
Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden spoke on Twitter of a “terrible drama”, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo wrote: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased official.” The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, wrote that she was shocked by the murder of a police officer on duty.
Belgium’s problem with Islamism
Belgium, and especially the Brussels district of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, has repeatedly grappled with the problem of Islamist radicalized groups. Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind behind the Paris attacks, who was arrested in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis and then blew himself up, was from that area. Also his accomplice Salah Abdeslam, who is currently on trial in Paris for the attacks. Two days after his arrest, an Islamist suicide squad carried out attacks at Brussels-Zaventem airport and a metro station in the center of Brussels.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
