The culprit responsible for the killings of two Swedish citizens before the Belgium-Sweden 2024 European Championship qualifier match has been shot dead by the Belgium Police force after a violent confrontation.
As a result of the murders, the match was abandoned at halftime following an immediate consultation from both teams by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) as revealed by an official statement from the Union.
Belgium authorities also increased the terror alert level to the maximum level in Brussels and the border with France has been tightened after describing the unfortunate incident as a brutal terrorist attack.
It was gathered that the gunman targeted Swedish supporters who were in Brussels at that time. The culprit identified as Abdulsalam claimed allegiance to an Islamic State and also claimed responsibility for the killings in a video posted online.
According to reports, Abdulsalam was on a bus but was recognized by the bus driver and some other passengers. He eventually fled from the bus and was heavily pursued by the police and other security agents into a cafe.
He was eventually shot in an open confrontation with the police and his weapon was taken away from him. However, it wasn’t clear enough if he died on the way to the hospital or in the hospital as a result of the serious gunfire injuries he sustained.
Research has revealed that the perpetrator was a 45-year-old Tunisian who sought Asylum in Belgium in 2019 but has been living illegally in the country after numerous claims that he was involved in human trafficking.
Despite the apprehension and eventual death of the culprit, the Belgian authorities maintained the highest terrorism threat alert in the capital and the Belgium Police force is still launching a huge investigation and operational sweep of the area.
