The prime minister of Sweden demanded tighter EU border security as a 45-year-old Tunisian shooter accused of killing two Swedish football fans in Brussels was shot by police in a cafe on Tuesday, according to Belgian authorities.
Two Swedish nationals are thought to have been killed and another injured in central Brussels on Monday night by an assailant who claimed to be an Islamic State member and accepted credit in a video released online.
Hours after Prime Minister Alexander De Croo referred to Monday’s shooting as a horrible “terrorist attack,” Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden tweeted on X that the attacker had been found and had now passed away.
The shooting occurred at a time when security worries in various European countries due to the Israel-Hamas conflict were at an all-time high.
After Koran burnings infuriated Muslims and sparked threats from jihadists, Sweden increased its terrorist alert to the second-highest level in August and issued a warning about an uptick in threats against Swedes at home and abroad.
Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister of Sweden, stated at a press conference on Tuesday that border controls in Sweden and the EU needed to be improved as well as security to be stepped up.
According to Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne earlier on Tuesday, the alleged attacker was known to Belgian authorities in connection with people smuggling and had applied for asylum in the nation unsuccessfully in November 2019. He was also present in the country illegally.
A social media video allegedly featuring the gunman identified him as Abdesalem Al Guilani, while Belgium’s Verlinden didn’t rule out the possibility of collaborators. Following the incident, an extensive manhunt ensued just as a Belgium-Sweden football match was about to commence, prompting Belgium to elevate its terrorism alert in the capital to the highest level.
Prime Minister confirmed that two Swedish football fans lost their lives, with a third individual recovering from severe injuries.
Consequently, the Belgium-Sweden Euro 2024 qualifying game was halted during halftime.
