Brussels: 2 cops stabbed in a suspected terror assault, one dies, witnesses say attacker yelled ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’ whereas stabbing

On Thursday, two Belgian Police officers have been attacked within the north Brussels commune of Schaerbeek in a suspected terror assault. The two officers have been taken to the hospital the place one in all them (29) succumbed to accidents whereas the opposite one is present process remedy. Also, the attacker died at a hospital after he was shot on the scene.

According to the reviews, the cops have been attacked at round 7:30 on Thursday night by a pointy knife. Het Nieuwsblad reported that witnesses heard the person yell, “Allahu Akbar!” earlier than attacking one of many cops who was 29-year-old. The cops in retaliation shot the attacker within the leg who later died after being taken to the hospital.

The Belgian Police suspect that the assault was a terror-related assault. The anti-terrorist squad of the Belgian Police has nevertheless taken over the investigation to determine the attacker and to know his motive. “We took charge of the case because there is suspicion of a terrorist motive, which will be confirmed or disproved by the investigators,” spokesman Eric Van Duyse mentioned.

One of the witnesses of the incident occurred to verify that the cops have been on patrolling obligation when the incident occurred. The witness mentioned that he heard 5 – 6 gunshots at round 7:30 pm after which noticed a person mendacity on the road all coated in blood. “I started to get scared,” Kremel mentioned.

Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo took cognizance of the incident and expressed his condolences to the household and associates of the deceased officer. “Our police officers risk life and limb every day to keep our society safe. Unfortunately, that is once again apparent today,” he mentioned in a tweet.

Tweet by Belgian Prime Minister

Also, Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden described the incident as ‘terrible drama and heartbreaking news’. “My thoughts are first and foremost with the next of kin, the members of the police zone, and the entire police organization,” she tweeted.

Tweet by inside minister

Several terrorist assaults have occurred in Belgium over the last few years. An analogous assault occurred within the 12 months 2017 in Brussels the place the troopers have been attacked by a pointy knife. The attacker died after one of many troopers managed to shoot the attacker. ISIS had claimed the accountability for the knife assault. 

Also, in June of that 12 months, a suspect was fatally shot at a Brussels subway station following a botched explosion that officers labeled a terrorist act. Further in March 2016, 31 individuals have been killed and 300 have been injured in coordinated assaults on the Brussels airport and a metro station.