BRUSSELS, Oct 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Belgian police on Tuesday arrested a suspected gunman who shot dead two Swedish football fans in what authorities said was a “terrorist attack”.
The arrest, in the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaerbeek, followed an intensive manhunt in the capital for the assailant armed with an automatic rifle.
Police opened fire during the arrest, a spokesman for the Belgian prosecutors’ service, Eric Van Duyse, said, without confirming a report by broadcaster RTBF that the suspect was wounded.
Prime Minister Alexander de Croo earlier said the suspect was a man of Tunisian origin who had been living in the country illegally.
“The terrorist attack that happened yesterday was committed with total cowardice, the attacker chose as a target two Swedish football fans,” de Croo told a news conference, adding that a third person was seriously wounded.
Sweden expressed its devastation over the shooting – which occurred just before a Belgium-Sweden football match Monday evening – and European leaders were quick to offer their solidarity.
Sweden has been at the centre of a bitter row this year with Muslim countries after multiple burnings of the Koran, Islam’s holy book.
In a video posted in Arabic on social media, a man identifying himself as the attacker said “he was inspired by the Islamic State” (IS) extremist group, prosecutors said.
Several Belgian media named the suspect as Abdesalem L, aged 45.
Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborn said the asylum seeker was convicted in Tunisia “for common law offences”, but was not reported for a terrorist risk.
“Devastated by the news of two Swedish football supporters murdered in Brussels tonight and a third person being seriously wounded. All my thoughts are with their families and loved ones,” Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said.
As news spread of the killings, the Group F European qualifier match was abandoned at half-time and some 35,000 fans were evacuated from the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels. — NNN-AGENCIES
