Belgian police on Tuesday, 17 October, shot and wounded a 45-year-old Tunisian suspected of killing two Swedish football fans in Brussels, Belgian media said.
Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said the weapon that was allegedly used by the man has also been recovered, reported the Associated Press.
Officials said the police opened fire at the attacker and shot him dead during the arrest. This was a result of an intensive overnight manhunt in the Belgian capital.
Earlier today, the man who identified himself as a member of the Islamic State claimed responsibility in a video posted online.
An unverified video of the attack circulating on social media showed a man - the suspected gunman, who said, “Islamic greeting Allahu Akbar. My name is Abdesalem Al Guilani and I am a fighter for Allah. I am from the Islamic State. We love who loves us and we hate who hates us. We live for our religion and we die for our religion. Alhamdulah. Your brother took revenge in the name of Muslims. I have killed three Swedes so far Al hamdoulelah. Three Swedish, yes. Those to whom I have done something wrong, may they forgive me. And I forgive everyone. Salam Aleykoum.”
European cities have been on high alert for possible extremist acts after the attacks by Hamas in Israel. But prosecutors said that there was no indication yet of a link to the conflict.
The federal prosecutor said the third victim, who was wounded but not in life-threatening condition, was a taxi driver. It called on residents inBrussels to stay indoors until the threat was over. European Commission staff were also advised to stay indoors.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo confirmed on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the victims were Swedish.
"I have just offered my sincere condolences to the Swedish PM following tonight’s harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels," de Croo said on X.
"Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners, the fight against terrorism is a joint one," he said.
Euro 2024 Qualifier Match Suspended
It was also the day, when the Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden was going to be played and was later suspended at halftime following the shooting.
Swedish footballers told Uefa they did not want to play the second half of the match, and the Belgian team agreed, according to Swedish broadcaster TV6.
The fans were kept inside the stadium for almost two and half hours as the match was played some 5 km from the shooting in the centre of the Belgian capital, and more than 35,000 fans attended the match.
One Belgian newspaper said it was likely that the victims were two soccer supporters
The shooting comes at a time of heightened security concerns in some European countries linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. France is deploying 7,000 extra troops onto its streets after a teacher was fatally stabbed on Friday in an attack President Emmanuel Macron condemned as "barbaric Islamic terrorism."
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)