Brussels, Belgium is the site of yet another terror attack- but this time, disaster was averted by police, who shot the suspect after a bomb explosion occurred in a Brussels train station, according to NBC News . The Brussels Central Station, a main train station in Belgium’s capitol city, was evacuated after the threat was assessed, which occurred around 9 p.m local time. According to NBC News , witnesses said that soldiers and armed police officers sealed off the entrances to the Brussels Central Station and surrounded it so that no one could get in or out. Belgian federal prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt stated:
“this incident is considered as a terrorist attack.”
The suspect has not yet been identified. However, the Los Angeles Times reports that an employee of Belgium’s national rail company, Nicolas Van Herreweghen, said that he appeared to be a male between the ages of 30 and 35 and that he was shouting about jihadists before yelling “Allahu akbar,” Arabic for “God is great,” prior to blowing up items on a luggage cart. According to Fox News , Van Herreweghen also said that the man had “visible wires around his waist.” This observation was confirmed by Belgian national newspaper La Libre Belgique, which stated that the suspected terrorist was wearing an explosive belt and a backpack.
According to Fox News , the suspect has died from his injuries. The federal prosecutor’s spokeswoman, Ine Van Wymersch, stated that the suspect, who had been lying on the ground since he was shot by soldiers, was unable to receive treatment from medics due to their concern about him carrying explosives. She added that his death could only be confirmed after the bomb squad had completed their work on the scene.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Belgium’s Crisis Center stated that there was no need to raise the terror threat in Belgium to the highest level. However, Brussels has remained on high alert since 32 people were killed in three coordinated suicide bombings in March 2016. In an article reviewing several of the worst terrorist attacks in Europe in recent years, including ones in Paris, Nice, Normandy, Berlin, Munich, Stockholm, London, and Manchester, Express notes that more than 300 people were wounded in addition to the 32 killed as a result of last year’s Brussels bombings.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
[Featured Image by Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP Images]