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Soldiers shoot suspected terrorist at Brussels Central railway station Soldiers shoot suspected terrorist dead at Brussels Central railway station
(35 minutes later)
A suspected terrorist was shot by soldiers in one of Brussels’ main railway stations on Tuesday night after what police described as a small explosion. A suspected terrorist was shot dead by soldiers in one of Brussels’ main railway stations on Tuesday night after what police described as a small explosion.
Officers believe the man was wearing an explosive belt and a witness at Brussels central station reportedly heard the man call out “Allahu Akbar” – God is great in Arabic – before the blast. Officers believe the man was wearing an explosive belt and a witness at Brussels Central station reportedly heard the man call out “Allahu Akbar” – “God is great” in Arabic – before the blast.
Police quickly announced they had the situation under control, though officials could not immediately say if the suspect was dead or alive. Police quickly announced they had the situation under control.
“There was a small explosion and the military on site shot him. At this stage, no other person has been injured and the situation is under control,” a spokesman for the federal police said. “This is considered as a terrorist attack,” said the federal prosecutor’s office spokesman Eric Van Der Sypt. “The suspect has been neutralised by the military that were present at the scene immediately after the explosion,” he said. “He is dead.”
“At the moment, we are looking at the person who is believed to have had the explosive belt on him … we do not know if he is dead as it is a live operation.” Van Der Sypt said the prosecutor’s office still had “no idea” of the suspect’s identity.
Nicolas Van Herrewegen, a railway sorting agent who was in the station as the incident unfolded, said: “I went down to the mezzanine level, someone was shouting. Then he cried ‘Allahu Akbar’, and he blew up a trolley. There were no other casualties in the incident.
Nicolas Van Herrewegen, a railway sorting agent who was in the station as the incident unfolded, said: “I went down to the mezzanine level. Someone was shouting. Then he cried: ‘Allahu Akbar’ and he blew up a trolley.
“I was behind a wall when it exploded. I went down and alerted my colleagues to evacuate everyone. [The suspect] was still around but after that, we didn’t see him.“I was behind a wall when it exploded. I went down and alerted my colleagues to evacuate everyone. [The suspect] was still around but after that, we didn’t see him.
“It wasn’t exactly a big explosion but the impact was pretty big. People were running away.”“It wasn’t exactly a big explosion but the impact was pretty big. People were running away.”
According to the Belgian newspaper, La Libre Belgique, the man detonated a device after he attracted the attention of soldiers who were patrolling the station. According to the Belgian newspaper La Libre, the man detonated a device after he attracted the attention of soldiers who were patrolling the station.
After the incident, which took place at about 8.30pm on Tuesday, the station and the nearby historic downtown area, including the Grand Place, was partly evacuated as police set up a security cordon. After the incident, which took place at about 8.30pm on Tuesday, the station and the nearby historic downtown area, including the Grand Place, were partly evacuated as police set up a security cordon.
About two hours later, Eric Van Der Sypt, from the federal prosecutor’s office, said the incident was being treated as a terror attack but that the prosecutor’s office still had “no idea” of the suspect’s identity. The Belgian government’s crisis centre said bomb disposal experts had been sent to the scene and a controlled explosion was possible.
At around the same time, the Belgian government’s crisis centre said bomb disposal experts had been sent to the scene and a controlled explosion was possible. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the Brussels police confirmed that only one person had been involved. A police spokesman told Reuters: “There was an incident at Central station. There was an explosion around a person. That person was neutralised by the soldiers that were on the scene. At the moment, the police are in numbers at the station and everything is under control.”
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the Brussels police confirmed that only one person had been involved and a police spokesman told the Reuters news agency that there were no other casualties. The prime minister, Charles Michel, and interior minister, Jan Jambon, were following the situation very closely from the government’s crisis centre, a spokesman said.
“There was an incident at Central station. There was an explosion around a person. That person was neutralised by the soldiers that were on the scene. At the moment, the police are in numbers at the station and everything is under control.”
The prime minister, Charles Michel, and interior minister Jan Jambon were following the situation very closely from the government’s crisis centre, a spokesman said.
Michel thanked the soldiers and security service and rail operator personnel for “their professionalism and their courage”.Michel thanked the soldiers and security service and rail operator personnel for “their professionalism and their courage”.
The Grand Place is one Brussels’ most popular tourist destinations. The beautiful gothic square is a five-minute walk from the Central station and would have been thronged with people on a warm midsummer night. In the nearby Galerie St-Hubert, a 19th-century arcade of shops and cafes, people stayed indoors. The Grand Place is one Brussels’ most popular tourist destinations. The beautiful gothic square is a five-minute walk from the Central station and would have been thronged with people on a warm midsummer night. In the nearby Galeries St-Hubert, a 19th-century arcade of shops and cafes, people stayed indoors.
Brussels Central station is at the heart of the capital, as well as of Belgium’s rail network. After the incident, a security perimeter was put in place.Brussels Central station is at the heart of the capital, as well as of Belgium’s rail network. After the incident, a security perimeter was put in place.
The metro, which passes under the station, was not stopping at this point and the Belgian national rail operator, the SNCB, said services were not stopping at three of Brussels Central, Midi or Nord stations. The metro, which passes under the station, was not stopping there and the Belgian national rail operator, the SNCB, said services were not stopping at Brussels Central, Midi and Nord stations.
“A crowd panicked in the station and ran for the tracks after an incident,” a spokesman said.“A crowd panicked in the station and ran for the tracks after an incident,” a spokesman said.
The Belgian capital has been on high alert for more than 18 months, since Brussels-based Isis militants carried out attacks in Paris that killed 130 people in November 2015, then bombed Brussels airport and the city’s metro in March last year, killing 32 people. The Belgian capital has been on high alert for more than 18 months, since Brussels-based Islamic State militants carried out attacks in Paris that killed 130 people in November 2015, then bombed Brussels airport and the city’s metro in March last year, killing 32 people.
Two suicide bombers killed 16 at the airport and, moments later, a suicide bomb at Maelbeek subway station killed another 16.Two suicide bombers killed 16 at the airport and, moments later, a suicide bomb at Maelbeek subway station killed another 16.
Responsibility for the attacks was claimed by Isis and several of those involved in the bloodshed were directly linked to the November attacks in Paris, also claimed by Isis, which left 130 dead and were planned in Brussels.Responsibility for the attacks was claimed by Isis and several of those involved in the bloodshed were directly linked to the November attacks in Paris, also claimed by Isis, which left 130 dead and were planned in Brussels.