The incident occurred just three miles away from a Belgium qualifying match for Euro 2024.
The Tunisian man accused of killing two Swedish soccer fans in a shooting in Brussels is suspected of being inspired by ISIS, according to U.S. officials briefed on the situation. This attack occurred near the Roi Baudouin stadium, where Belgium was playing Sweden to qualify for the Euro 2024 football tournament, and it has been described as an “act of terrorism” by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
The suspected attacker, 45-year-old Abdesalem Lassoued, was shot and killed by the police in Schaerbeek, Brussels. He was denied asylum in Belgium in 2019, and authorities believe his motive was ISIS-related, based on open-source social media postings. The incident occurred
Lassoued reportedly recorded a video in which he discussed targeting Swedish people and claimed he conducted the attack for ISIS. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and it led to stricter border controls along Belgian borders following the suspension of the soccer match.
BRUSSELS, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Two Swedish nationals were shot to death and a third person was wounded in central Brussels on Monday night, and a man who identified himself as a member of the Islamic State claimed responsibility in a video posted online.
The suspected assailant fled the scene after the shooting as a football match between Belgium and Sweden was about to start, triggering a massive manhunt and prompting Belgium to raise its terror alert to the highest level.
A Belgian federal prosecutor said there was no evidence that the attacker, who was still on the loose, had any link to the recent renewed conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The likely motive for the attack was the Swedish nationality of the victims, the prosecutor said.
Sweden in August raised its terror alert to the second-highest level, warning of an increase in threats against Swedish interests abroad, after Koran burnings and other acts in Sweden against Islam’s holiest text outraged Muslims and triggered threats from jihadists.