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Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Belgium: Knife Attack at Brussels Metro Station

Hat tip New English Review

7 Sur 7 (Be)


On Monday, a 30-year-old man went on a knife rampage on the Brussels  Metro as his train was arriving at Schuman station. As passengers fled from the car, the suspect continued his rampage in the station. By the time he was subdued by police, three people had been stabbed. (Two slightly, one seriously, but he is expected to survive.)

New English Review and other sources report that witnesses reported the man as yelling, "Allahu akhbar", but I find nothing about this in the several Belgian newspapers, both in French and Dutch, that I have scoured. The official line to the media from authorities is that the man has no criminal record but is believed to have psychiatric problems (How many times have we heard that?) Furthermore, police state there is no reason to suspect a terrorist motive. One Dutch-language site, Niuewsblad reports that the man is identified only as Anwar H.

The below article from the French-language outlet, 7 Sur 7, is translated by Fousesquawk. It also contains a video of the attack. (Viewer warning).

https://www.7sur7.be/faits-divers/attaque-a-schuman-le-suspect-n-etait-connu-daucun-service-de-renseignement~ab3ffcae/

 Attack at Schuman: The suspect was not known to any intelligence service

The man suspected of having committed a knife attack Monday evening at the Schuman Metro station in Brussels was not known to either the intelligence services or the Organ of Coordination and Threat Analysis (OCAM), the Minister of Justice, Vincent van Quickenborne told the (Parliamentary) Committee Wednesday. He was responding to a question from Katja Gabriels (Open Vid).

Editorial staff February 1, 2023 at 16:12. Last update February 1, 2023 at 16:15 Source: Belga

His criminal record was clean. He had never been imprisoned but had been admitted into psychiatric institutions several times.

Review of the facts

On Munday around 17:45, an individual, armed with a knife, wounded three persons on a metro train that had arrived at Schuman station. He was neutralized a short time later in the station by several police officers. He is a 30-year-old man. The motive of his attack is not yet known, but presently, nothing indicates he was motivated by a terrorist motive, according to the prosecutor's office.

Murder attempt

After being overpowered and handcuffed by police, the individual was questioned Monday night. He was then brought before an investigating magistrate designed by the Brussels Prosecutor's Office.  The magistrate decided Tuesday to place him under an order of arrest on the charge of attempted murder.

Three wounded

Three persons were victims of this attack, including a 25-year-old man who was gravely wounded and is still hospitalized, but whose life is no longer in danger. The two other victims-a 40-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman, both slightly wounded-have already been able to leave the hospital.






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