Brussels Terror Attack: Suspected Gunman in Belgium Attack Killed, His Identity Confirmed as Abdesalem Lassoued by Belgian Authorities

 

The individual who claimed responsibility for the shooting in Brussels identified himself as a member of the Islamic State named Abdesalem Lassoued. 

In Brussels, the Belgian police have shot and killed a suspected terrorist accused of fatally shooting two Swedish soccer fans on a city street, following a nationwide manhunt. According to reports, Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden shared the news of the identification and death of the perpetrator of the terrorist attack on social media. 

The 45-year-old Tunisian suspect was confronted by law enforcement officers in a cafe in the Schaerbeek neighborhood, not far from where the shooting occurred hours earlier. He was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the hospital. 

Authorities found the weapon used in the attacks near the apprehension site. Belgium's Interior Minister indicated that thorough checks, including fingerprint verification, were being carried out to confirm the suspect's identity. Additionally, it was not ruled out whether the suspect had accomplices who aided him in the attack.

Monday's attack in central Brussels, which left two Swedish nationals dead and a third wounded, instilled fear across the country. The suspect fled the scene, prompting a massive search and an increase in the terror alert level by the government to level 4, the highest level.

The gunman was spotted riding a moped while wielding an assault rifle. He claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of the Islamic State in a video posted on social media, identifying himself as Abdesalem Lassoued, and declared that he was a fighter for Allah. 

Videos of the shooting, also shared on social media, depicted a man wearing an orange fluorescent vest arriving on a scooter, brandishing a large rifle, and firing at passersby before pursuing them into a building.

The attack was reportedly in retaliation for the murder of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois over the weekend. A 71-year-old Chicago-area landlord, Joseph M. Czuba, who was accused of stabbing the young boy and his mother, has been arrested and charged with murder and hate crimes. Prosecutors mentioned that Czuba had been closely monitoring news related to violence in Israel and believed that his Muslim tenants would harm him as part of Hamas' "day of jihad."

Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo condemned the attack as an act of cowardice, emphasizing the victims' innocence. The shooting occurred near King Baudouin Stadium while the Euro 2024 qualifying soccer match between Belgium and Sweden was in progress. 

The match was halted at halftime, and both teams decided not to resume play following the tragedy. More than 35,000 soccer fans were locked down in the national stadium for hours due to the heightened terror alert level and the belief that the suspect was still on the run and considered armed and dangerous.

The suspected gunman had sought asylum in Belgium in November 2019 and was known to authorities as a suspected human trafficker, as mentioned by Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne during a news conference. 

In recent years, Belgium has been the target of several Islamist attacks, with the deadliest being the 2016 attack on Brussels airport and the city's commuter rail, which claimed the lives of 32 people.

Prime Minister De Croo called for unity in the face of these terrorist attacks, emphasizing that the country would not be intimidated by terrorism.

[SOURCE]