(Brussels) The Islamic State (IS) armed group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a shooting in Brussels that killed two Swedes on Monday, saying the attack targeted Sweden because of its membership in a global coalition fighting against jihadists .
“An Islamic State fighter carried out an attack against Swedish nationals on Monday,” IS said in a statement published on Amaq, the organization’s news outlet, adding that “this attack comes against the backdrop of of operations carried out by ISIS to target nationals of the countries of this coalition”.
“The lone wolf thesis seems closest to reality,” federal prosecutor Frédéric Van Leeuw said earlier during a press conference after a national security council.
The attacker, a 45-year-old Tunisian presented by the media as Abdesalem Lassoued, was illegally staying in Belgium after the rejection of an asylum request in 2020 and targeted by an order to leave the territory which was never issued. executed.
In this regard, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo pleaded in favor of better application of these decisions for those who “do not have the right to protection”. Such an order “must become more restrictive,” said the Flemish liberal leader.
Prison sentence in Sweden
The suspect served a prison sentence in Sweden in the years 2012-2014, the Swedish Migration Office announced on Tuesday.
Questioned by AFP, the spokesperson for this administration, Jesper Tengroth, did not want to specify what crime or misdemeanor he had been convicted of or the length of the sentence which had been imposed on him.
He simply explained that the man had been transferred from Sweden “to another European country under the Dublin Regulation”, which states that migrants must apply for asylum in the European state where they initially arrive.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, for his part, declared that, according to “all indications”, this “terrorist attack” had targeted Sweden and Swedish citizens “simply because they are Swedish”.
“Never in recent history have Sweden and Swedish interests been as threatened as today,” he also warned.
In the video claiming the suspect, the Swedish nationality of the victims was mentioned as a “probable motivation for the act”, a link being established with the desecrations of the Koran in Sweden which moved the Muslim world, noted the authorities Belgians.
On August 17, Sweden had to raise its terrorist risk alert level to four on a scale of five due to tensions aroused by the burning of copies of the sacred text of Islam that have occurred on its soil since the start of year.
PHOTO JOHN THYS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Swedish supporters react after the announcement of the attack at the King Baudouin stadium.
“Islamic State”
The double homicide, described as a “cowardly attack” by Mr. De Croo, took place not far from downtown Brussels on Monday shortly after 7 p.m., a few hours before a football match between Belgium and Sweden at the Roi stadium. Baldwin.
The attacker killed two Swedish supporters with an automatic weapon and injured a third before fleeing on a scooter.
The manhunt lasted a dozen hours, until the Tunisian was spotted Tuesday shortly after 8 a.m. (2 a.m. Eastern Time) by a witness in a cafe in the Brussels commune of Schaerbeek, where he resided.
During the police intervention, “shots were fired and the suspect was shot,” said the federal prosecutor. He was transferred to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:38 a.m.
“An AR-15 type war weapon” was found in the café where the arrest took place, noted Mr. Van Leeuw.
There were a total of four searches after the attack and two people from the suspected shooter’s entourage were arrested for questioning.
As of Monday evening, a video message of protest had been posted on social networks by a man “presenting himself as the attacker and saying he was inspired by the Islamic State”, again according to the federal prosecutor’s office, responsible for terrorism cases.
The terrorist threat was then raised to level 4 – the maximum – in the Brussels region. She was moved back to Level 3 on Tuesday after the suspect’s death.
In the morning, a minute of silence was observed by the European Parliament meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg.
And such moments of contemplation in memory of the two victims were also planned for Tuesday evening before all the qualifying matches for Euro-2024.
On Wednesday, the Swedish Prime Minister is expected in Brussels for a joint tribute with Alexander De Croo planned for the morning at Place Sainctelette, near the scene of the attack.
Belgium has already been the target of several attacks claimed by the Islamic State group.
The deadliest (35 dead) was perpetrated on March 22, 2016, when Brussels was hit by a double suicide attack at Zaventem airport and in the metro in the middle of the European district.