Two Brussels Police Officers Were Stabbed In A Suspected Terrorist Attack

In March, Brussels was hit with a multisite terrorist attack in a city that was already well known as an “incubator of jihadism.” Countless ongoing raids brought many suspects into custody, but limited police resources create unfortunate difficulties in staying on top of terrorist cells, especially in such an interconnected world where ISIS takes advantage of technology and even social media to plot attacks.

Brussels saw more suspected terror on Wednesday. The BBC reports how two officers were stabbed on a busy Brussels street that has been linked to other terror attacks. Neither officer suffered life-threatening wounds, but one was stabbed in the neck while the other was stabbed in the stomach. An officer who responded to the scene sustained a broken nose in the resulting scuffle, which ended with a suspect being shot in the leg and taken into custody.

The Guardian adds a statement from Belgian prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt, who said, “We have reason to believe that the incident was a terrorist attack.” The BBC also notes that the suspected attacker, a Belgian national, is believed to have established contact with jihadists in Syria.

CNN further reports that the stabbings happened a few hours after a bomb scare at Nord train station, which turned out to be a false alarm. This photo shows the scene as that investigation unfolded.

(Via The Guardian, BBC & CNN)