Brussels police stabbed in 'terror attack'

Two police officers have been stabbed in Brussels in a possible terrorist incident, Belgian prosecutors say.

One officer was stabbed in the neck and another in the stomach, while a third officer who arrived at the scene in Schaerbeek district suffered a broken nose, Belgian broadcaster VRT reports.

The attacker was shot in the leg and taken away by ambulance.

Authorities have named the attacker as Hicham D, 33, of Belgian nationality.

A witness told RTBF news that a man with a knife knocked a police officer to the ground before turning on a second officer.

"We have reason to believe that the incident was a terrorist attack," a spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor's office, Eric Van Der Sypt, said.

Belgian prosecutors said the officers had not suffered life-threatening injuries.

The attack happened near a main road in a region linked to previous terror attacks.

It comes just hours after commuters were evacuated from Brussels Nord station over a bomb scare.

Belgium has been on high alert following attacks in Brussels on the airport and the city's metro system in March, which killed 35 people and injured more than 300.

The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37563836
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/05/belgian-police-officers-stabbed-suspected-terror-attack-brussels-schaerbeek-neighbourhood
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-police-stabbing-belgium-latest-possible-terror-incident-a7346471.html

Thanks, LL - there seem to have been a string of these incidents.

bb1 wrote:Thanks, LL - there seem to have been a string of these incidents.

Brussels is considered as the head, the centre of the EU and therefore a prime target. LL

Ah yes, of course!

bb1 wrote:Ah yes, of course!

It's the old belief, you cut off the head and the beast dies. But in th case of Brussels, it's more of a hydra, as IS needs to also destroy Frankfurt, Luxembourg and Strasbourg as those cities are the main EU infrastructure. LL

Do they even think as far ahead as that, LL, or is it that they think they are 'winning' by committing acts of terror in the very heart of the EU? It's not the infrastructure that is actually the target, it's spreading terror itself...if that makes sense?

bb1 wrote:Do they even think as far ahead as that, LL, or is it that they think they are 'winning' by committing acts of terror in the very heart of the EU? It's not the infrastructure that is actually the target, it's spreading terror itself...if that makes sense?

I think it's a bit of both.  IS knows the layout of the EU, how it works, so they probably believe that attacking the police and/or public they can spread fear amongst the populace.  They forget that Hitler tried that and failed, so did the USSR.   These people have a mindset far different to ours, I am afraid. LL

They also seem unaware of just what Europeans are capable of when they are finally roused to anger, LL.

bb1 wrote:They also seem unaware of just what Europeans are capable of when they are finally roused to anger, LL.

Europe has been at peace, sort of, since 1945. Most of Europe was subjugated by the USSR, those that weren't were pro-USA. And Europeans believe in up front confrontation which IS does not understand. My opinion, you understand. LL