EA police officer has died after an attack in Belgium’s capital, Brussels. Another police officer was injured in the attack with a knife, as the public prosecutor’s office of the German Press Agency confirmed on Thursday evening. Several media had previously reported on the case. As the news agency Belga reported, several media had also reported that the attacker should have called “Allahu Akbar” (God is great).
The public prosecutor told the dpa that a terrorist background could neither be confirmed nor ruled out. As Belga further reported, the attacked officials had called for reinforcements. A police officer who came to the rescue used his service weapon against the attacker. According to several media reports, the attacker was hit by several shots. According to the prosecutor in the evening, the attacker was injured but not killed. It was initially unclear whether he needed hospital treatment.
Jihadists and Salafists often use the Arabic expression “Allahu Akbar” as a kind of rallying cry. In fact, it is a central religious formula of Islam that has been used by Muslims worldwide for centuries.
“My thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased official,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo wrote on Twitter in the evening. He hopes the hospitalized officer is doing well.
