Brussels knife attack on police officer investigated ‘in a terrorist context’
Law enforcement agencies in Brussels are investigating Tuesday’s knife attack on a police officer in a terrorist context, the city’s prosecutor’s office said.
The authorities “haven’t yet been able to establish the motive of the attacker,” according to a statement from the prosecution. It added that a judicial investigation for attempted murder “in a terrorist context” has been opened.
Many witnesses heard the suspect pronouncing [the words] ‘Allahu Akbar’
The suspect attacked a police officer with two kitchen knives in the Belgian capital on Tuesday morning, before being shot by two other officers, the prosecutor’s office said. Both the attacker and his intended victim were brought to hospital. The officer received non-life threatening injuries, while the condition of the attacker is “critical.”
According to the prosecution, the man had been indicted for a series of violent robberies. Back in 2014, he was also detained for an attempted manslaughter and possession of forbidden arms. He was released in October this year.
In the meantime, the media has identified the suspect as Issam T., a Belgian national born in 1984. He was reportedly released from a psychiatric hospital for criminals.
Earlier on Tuesday Interior Minister Jan Jambon said that the suspect had not been known “neither by police, nor by the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis Center (OCAM)” for his alleged links to terrorism. Police were “once again the victim of a cowardly attack,” the minister tweeted.
On Tuesday afternoon police in the Ixelles area where the attack happened, reportedly carried out a search in the alleged perpetrator’s house. At least two men were arrested following the operation.
Earlier on Tuesday Interior Minister Jan Jambon said that the suspect had not been known “neither by police, nor by the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis Center (OCAM)” for his alleged links to terrorism. Police were “once again the victim of a cowardly attack,” the minister tweeted.
On Tuesday afternoon police in the Ixelles area where the attack happened, reportedly carried out a search in the alleged perpetrator’s house. At least two men were arrested following the operation.
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