Brussels shooting: Police shoot dead attacker who killed Swedes

 

Police in Brussels have shot dead the man who killed two Swedish nationals on Monday evening.

Abdesalem Lassoued, 45, was shot in a café in the Schaerbeek neighbourhood.

Two Swedes were killed and a third person injured in the automatic rifle attack on Monday.

It took place on Boulevard d'Ypres, 5km (3 miles) from the stadium where Belgium was playing Sweden to qualify for the Euro 2024 football tournament.

Brussels has been on its highest terror alert ever since.

The gunman is believed to be a man of Tunisian origin who was in Belgium illegally, after having his asylum application rejected.

He posted a video online saying he had killed people in the name of God and the prosecutor's office believe he was inspired by the Islamic State Group.

Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden told Flemish public broadcaster VRT that the automatic weapon found on him was the same as the one used in Monday's attack.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, called Monday's shooting "a harrowing act of terrorism" in a press conference on Tuesday.

The prosecutor on the case has said the likely motive was the Swedish nationality of the victims.

Mr De Croo said: "Perpetrators, they try to instil fear, distrust and division in our free societies. Terrorism. Terrorists must understand that they will never succeed in their intent."

 

By Sofia Bettiza & Gem O'Reilly

BBC News, Brussels and London

 

Share on Google Plus

0 comments:

Post a Comment