Belgian police have shot dead the suspected terrorist accused of gunning down two Swedish football fans on a Brussels street after a nationwide manhunt, according to reports.
“The perpetrator of the terrorist attack in Brussels has been identified and has died”, Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden aware on X, formerly Twitter.
The 45-year-old Tunisian suspect was shot by law enforcement on Monday in a cafe in the Schaerbeek neighborhood, not far from where the attack had taken place hours earlier.
The man was hit in the chest and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to local media.
“The weapon with which the attacks were committed was found this morning at the place where the man was detained,” Verlinden said.
Belgium’s Interior Minister shared that authorities did their due diligence to ensure the man was the alleged gunman who evaded police after the brazen shooting.
Police officers at the scene after shooting dead the suspected terrorist behind the Monday night attack in Brussels October 17, 2023.REUTERS Police officers work after a police operation against a suspect in a fatal shooting, in Schaerbeek , Brussels, Belgium, October 17, 2023 REUTERS A police car is seen on Tuesday near the Schaerbeek area of Brussels, where the alleged perpetrator of the Brussels attack was shot after being confronted by police in a cafe. REUTERS
“We are checking fingerprints to be 100% sure,” he said.
Verlinden also revealed that he could not rule out whether the suspect had accomplices who helped him with the attack.
Monday’s attack that left two Swedish citizens dead and a third injured in central Brussels sparked fear across the country.
The suspect quickly fled the scene after carrying out the gruesome shooting, which launched a massive manhunt and prompted the government to raise its terror alert level to 4, the highest level.
The gunman was seen riding a moped while holding the assault rifle.Politicando/Facebook The alleged shooter, Abdesalem Lassoued, took to social media after bragging about the shooting.slayemslouman/facebook
The suspect, identifying himself as an Islamic State member named Abdesalem Lassoued, claimed responsibility for the shooting on behalf of the ruthless terrorist organization and said he was a fighter for Allah in a video posted on social media.
In videos of the shooting posted on social media, a man wearing a fluorescent orange vest is seen pulling up on a scooter, pulling out a large rifle and opening fire on bystanders before chasing them into a building to continue the killing spree.
The attack was allegedly retaliation for the murder of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois over the weekend.
Joseph M. Czuba, the 71-year-old Chicago-area landlord accused of stabbing the young man and his mother, has been arrested and charged with murder and hate crimes.
During a hearing on Monday, prosecutors told the court that Czuba had been closely following coverage of violence in Israel and was convinced his Muslim tenants would harm him as part of Hamas’ “day of jihad” last Friday. .
The alleged shooter identified himself as a member of the Islamic State.slayemslouman/facebook In a video posted online after the shooting, Lassoued said he was a fighter for Allah.slayemslouman/facebook
“The attack that was launched yesterday was committed with total cowardice,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during a press conference.
De Croo said the three shooting victims had just left a “wonderful football party” before they were shot, two of them fatally.
“Their lives were cut short while fleeing, riddled with extreme brutality,” he said.
The shooting occurred three miles from King Baudouin Stadium as the Euro 2024 qualifying soccer match between Belgium and Sweden was already underway.
A police officer is seen standing after police shot dead the gunman who killed two Swedish citizens in Brussels.REUTERS Police patrol as a van is towed from the scene of a shooting in central Brussels, the Tuesday, October 17, 2023. .AP
The match was stopped at halftime, but the Swedish and Belgian teams chose not to resume play after the tragedy.
“Following a suspected terrorist attack in Brussels this afternoon, it has been decided, after consultation with both teams and local law enforcement authorities, that the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden be abandoned,” UEFA said in a statement. announced on Monday.
More than 35,000 football fans were locked in the national stadium for hours due to the high level of terror alert and as the suspect was still at large and presumed to be armed and dangerous.
Sweden fans react at half-time as the UEFA EURO 2024 European Qualifier match between Belgium and Sweden is abandoned at the King Baudouin Stadium on October 16, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.Getty Images
The alleged gunman had allegedly sought asylum in Belgium in November 2019 and was known to authorities as an alleged human trafficker, Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said during a news conference.
In recent years, Belgium has been the target of several Islamist attacks; The deadliest was the 2016 attack on Brussels airport and the city’s commuter train, which left 32 people dead.
“Let us remain united in this terrible challenge of these terrorist attacks. We will never be intimidated by terrorism,” De Croo said after the shooting.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn