Brussels on High Alert After Deadly Shootings
Belgium is on its highest terror alert after two Swedish nationals were fatally shot and a third person was injured in an alleged terror attack in Brussels....
Facts
- Belgium is on its highest terror alert after two Swedish nationals were fatally shot and a third person was injured in an alleged terror attack in Brussels.1
- The shooting, which took place near the 50K-capacity King Baudouin Stadium on Monday night, forced authorities to call off Belgium's Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden at halftime.2
- While it was reported the victims were wearing the Swedish national team's jerseys, the gunman was allegedly wearing a fluorescent jacket and carrying an automatic rifle.3
- The shooter allegedly published a video in which he claimed inspiration from the Islamic State group — prompting a massive manhunt by Belgian authorities.4
- The manhunt ended Tuesday morning (local time) when the suspect, an alleged extremist from Tunisia, was shot dead by police after being located in the Schaerbeek district. According to Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, the police found a weapon thought to be the weapon used in the killings.5
- In August, Sweden elevated its terror warning system level following multiple public Quran burnings by an Iraqi refugee who was living in Sweden. This resulted in increased threats from Islamist extremist groups.6
Sources: 1Reuters, 2Sky News, 3BBC News, 4The Guardian, 5Associated Press (a) and 6Associated Press (b).
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Time. It's tragic and unacceptable that the two soccer fans were killed as they belonged to Sweden, a nation that values liberty and tolerance. While the full scope of the motive has yet to be ascertained, if it was really a revenge killing against Quran burnings in Sweden, Stockholm must continue protecting free speech in the face of religious hatred and xenophobia.
- Narrative B, as provided by TRT World. Stockholm must not allow incendiary demonstrations that provoke terrorists who commit such heinous crimes in the name of religion. This tragic shooting is a shocking act of terrorism, and the string of Quran-burning incidents in Sweden in recent months enraged Muslim communities around the world and fueled an extremist response.
