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Brussels Bombing Suspect Was Known to the Police, Officials Say Brussels Bombing Suspect Was a Moroccan Citizen
(about 1 hour later)
The Belgian authorities were investigating on Wednesday the radicalization of a man who tried to detonate at least one bomb at a Brussels train station, in what the Belgian authorities called an attempted terrorist attack. The man was shot dead by soldiers. A man who triggered a suitcase bomb in a failed attack at a busy Brussels train station was a 36-year-old Moroccan citizen who was known to the police but was not wanted for any terrorism offenses, the Belgian authorities said on Wednesday.
The suspect, who was identified only by his initials, O.Z., was shot and killed on Tuesday after he ran at a soldier while shouting “Allahu akbar” (Arabic for “God is great”), said Eric Van der Sijpt, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office.
The bomb contained nails and gas bottles inside a suitcase, Mr. Van der Sijpt said, adding that the suspect had first caused a partial explosion while he shouted. The bag then “exploded a second time more violently,” he said.
Belgium has been on alert for more than 18 months after suicide attacks in Brussels, which is home to the headquarters of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and in the French capital.Belgium has been on alert for more than 18 months after suicide attacks in Brussels, which is home to the headquarters of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and in the French capital.
Militants based in Brussels killed 130 people in the attacks in Paris in November 2015. Then, in March 2016, Brussels Airport and a subway station in the city were bombed, killing 32. The Islamic State claimed responsibility in both cases, and the attacks underscored the extent to which Belgium had become a hotbed of Islamic radicalism.Militants based in Brussels killed 130 people in the attacks in Paris in November 2015. Then, in March 2016, Brussels Airport and a subway station in the city were bombed, killing 32. The Islamic State claimed responsibility in both cases, and the attacks underscored the extent to which Belgium had become a hotbed of Islamic radicalism.
Tuesday’s failed attack occurred on the eve of a summit meeting in Brussels at which leaders from across Europe were scheduled to discuss defense and security issues, among other topics.Tuesday’s failed attack occurred on the eve of a summit meeting in Brussels at which leaders from across Europe were scheduled to discuss defense and security issues, among other topics.
Prosecutors said that at around 8:30 p.m., a man set off an explosive device at the Central Station in Brussels. He was shot by soldiers who were patrolling the station at the time, and the police secured the station afterward. A platform worker at the station said the man had shouted “Allahu akbar” (Arabic for “God is great”) before the explosion. The authorities said the suspect lived in Molenbeek, a working-class immigrant neighborhood in Brussels that has become a haven for Islamic radicals, and was home to several of those involved in the Paris and Brussels attacks.
Jan Jambon, the Belgian interior minister, said in an interview with VRT News that the man had been identified, that he was known to police, and that his name would be released later on Wednesday. News reports said he had been wearing a white shirt and black pants and that he was in his early thirties. The apparent failure of Belgian law enforcement to tame radicalization in the neighborhood has prompted criticism that Belgium’s linguistically divided and fragmented political system has proved weak in the face of terrorism.
Mr. Jambon said that an investigation had been opened and that several homes had been raided overnight. Jan Jambon, the Belgian interior minister, said in an interview with VRT News that that several homes had been raided overnight.
It was not clear whether the attacker had links to the Islamic State or to any other militant groups, but Mr. Jambon said investigators would be examining how the man was radicalized and that the authorities would continue looking to plug any gaps in Belgium’s security system.It was not clear whether the attacker had links to the Islamic State or to any other militant groups, but Mr. Jambon said investigators would be examining how the man was radicalized and that the authorities would continue looking to plug any gaps in Belgium’s security system.
“The modus operandi of I.S. keeps changing,” he said. “It’s a game of the poacher and the forest ranger — whenever the forest ranger approaches the poacher goes elsewhere and finds new ways.”“The modus operandi of I.S. keeps changing,” he said. “It’s a game of the poacher and the forest ranger — whenever the forest ranger approaches the poacher goes elsewhere and finds new ways.”
While he added that it was essential to be vigilant in the face of security threats, he warned against an overreaction. While he added that it was essential to be vigilant in the face of security threats, he warned against an overreaction.“If you protect yourself everywhere against anything, in the end we will end up in a police state,” he said.
“If you protect yourself everywhere against anything, in the end we will end up in a police state,” he said.
Eyewitnesses told the Belgian news media that after the man had circulated around the station, an explosion went off in a trolley he was holding. Several people were standing nearby when he detonated the device, they said, but no other casualties were reported.
The central station was temporarily closed, but it had reopened by Wednesday morning, at which point trains and subways were running on time.The central station was temporarily closed, but it had reopened by Wednesday morning, at which point trains and subways were running on time.
The nearby Grand Place, an imposing square that is a popular spot for tourists and was crowded on a warm summer evening, was partly evacuated after the attack. It has also been fully reopened.The nearby Grand Place, an imposing square that is a popular spot for tourists and was crowded on a warm summer evening, was partly evacuated after the attack. It has also been fully reopened.