This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/belgium-shooting-latest-updates-liege-police-officers-dead-terror-incident-attack-a8374076.html
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Belgium shooting: Attacker stabs two police officers and steals their guns before shooting them in 'terror-related' incident | Belgium shooting: Attacker stabs two police officers and steals their guns before shooting them in 'terror-related' incident |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An attacker stabbed two police officers in the Belgian city of Liege, stealing their weapons and shooting them dead before also gunning down a bystander in an incident authorities are treating as terror-related. | An attacker stabbed two police officers in the Belgian city of Liege, stealing their weapons and shooting them dead before also gunning down a bystander in an incident authorities are treating as terror-related. |
| The man, who was later killed by police, approached the two female officers from behind and stabbed them several times on a boulevard in the centre of Belgium's third-largest city, around 30 miles from the German border. | The man, who was later killed by police, approached the two female officers from behind and stabbed them several times on a boulevard in the centre of Belgium's third-largest city, around 30 miles from the German border. |
| The attacker, identified by public broadcaster RTBF as Benjamin Herman, then shot dead a 22-year-old man, who was sat in a vehicle parked nearby, and took a woman hostage in a school close to where the shooting took place outside a city cafe. | |
| Pupils were moved to safety as a gun battle broke out that sent people in the street racing for cover. Several police were wounded before the attacker was finally killed. | Pupils were moved to safety as a gun battle broke out that sent people in the street racing for cover. Several police were wounded before the attacker was finally killed. |
| “Liege police intervened. He came out firing at police, wounding a number of them, notably in the legs. He was shot dead,” said Philippe Dulieu, spokesman for the Liege prosecutor's office. | “Liege police intervened. He came out firing at police, wounding a number of them, notably in the legs. He was shot dead,” said Philippe Dulieu, spokesman for the Liege prosecutor's office. |
| “The event is classed as a terrorist incident.” | “The event is classed as a terrorist incident.” |
| Newspaper La Libre Belgique quoted a police source as saying the gunman shouted “Allahu Akbar”. | Newspaper La Libre Belgique quoted a police source as saying the gunman shouted “Allahu Akbar”. |
| RTBF described the 36-year-old suspect Herman as a petty criminal who had been let out on day-release from a local prison on Monday. | |
| It said investigators were examining whether he converted to Islam and had been radicalised in jail. | It said investigators were examining whether he converted to Islam and had been radicalised in jail. |
| However, Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, said it was too early to say what had caused the incident in a statement expressing his condolences to the families of the victims. | However, Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, said it was too early to say what had caused the incident in a statement expressing his condolences to the families of the victims. |
| A spokeswoman for the city mayor's office, Laurence Comminette, said all children at the school where the gunfight had ended were safe. | A spokeswoman for the city mayor's office, Laurence Comminette, said all children at the school where the gunfight had ended were safe. |
| Theresa May has denounced the attack, branding it “cowardly”. | |
| “My thoughts are with the victims of today's cowardly attack in Belgium and their grieving families,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter. | |
| “The UK stands resolute with our Belgian allies against terror.” | |
| Belgium has at times struggled with the spectre of Islamist extremism in recent years. | Belgium has at times struggled with the spectre of Islamist extremism in recent years. |
| Some 32 people were killed and hundreds more injured in a series of bombings carried out by an Islamic State cell in Brussels in March 2016. | Some 32 people were killed and hundreds more injured in a series of bombings carried out by an Islamic State cell in Brussels in March 2016. |
| Months earlier in November 2015, a Brussels-based IS group were involved in the attack on Paris that left 130 dead. | Months earlier in November 2015, a Brussels-based IS group were involved in the attack on Paris that left 130 dead. |
| Additional reporting by agencies |