(Vatican Radio) Belgian authorities say they have foiled a "terror attack" as soldiers shot and killed a suspect after a small explosion at a busy Brussels train station. The incident continued a week of attacks in capitals of Europe.
Listen to Stefan Bos' report:
Police were seen rushing to the Brussels Central Station as it became apparent that deadly violence once again rocked the Belgian capital.
Soon after, authorities confirmed that a man, believed to be in his 30s, was in
their soldiers immediately after the explosion there on Tuesday night.
The male suspect was reportedly agitated, yelling about jihadists and then "Allahu
akbar," Arabic for "Allah is great,"
before blowing up something on a baggage trolley.
Remy Bonnaffe was among those witnessing the attack. "I was heading from work on my
way home and was waiting in the central hall when all of a sudden I could hear a very
loud explosion," he recalled. "And it was at that point that I started looking around
and then I saw something burning just in front of me. Then people started to run away.
But then shortly after there was a second explosion," Bonnaffe explained.
"And then people started to run away more in panic. It was then at that point that
I could also hear rapid bangs. I was not sure what it was, but to me, it sounded like
gun shots. And then I run away to the Hilton [hotel] because I thought that was the
safest place to be," he added.
BOMB SQUAD
The suspect lay still for several hours while a bomb squad checked whether he was
armed with more explosives.
No other explosives were found on his body, though several Belgian media had reported
earlier that the suspect was wearing a bomb belt.
Federal prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt told reporters that authorities are now investigating
the terror attack. "About 8.30 pm there was a small explosion at the central station
here in Brussels. The suspect has been neutralized by the military that was present
at the scene after the explosion," he said. "There were no other victims. This incident
is considered as a terrorist attack," the spokesman added.
Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people on the Brussels
subway and at an airport in March 2016.
There have been attacks in Paris and London in recent days, including the assault
by a van driver who tried to run down worshippers outside a London mosque.
In Brussels, extra police and soldiers in camouflage gear have become a common sight
in crowded areas.
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