The incident occurred at 8:20 p.m. local time on Boulevard Emile Jacqmain, close to central buildings such as the Brussels Stock Exchange. Prosecutors have called the incident an act of terrorism.
Birdseye view from my and @tdasilvarosa 's flat — man attacked soldier with machete #attack #brussels at least one man in critical condition pic.twitter.com/jNr4aO2ESF
— Freddie Martyn (@FreddieMartyn) August 25, 2017
Prosecutors issued a statement that the attacker "is a 30-year-old man who is not known for terrorist activities." However, the culprit shouted "Allahu Akbar" twice before the attack. RTBF said that the attacker was Somali, but Belgian prosecutors have not confirmed this information.
UPDATE: #Brussels — Contrary to reports, machete attacker is NOT dead. Prosecutor says he is "between life and death" in hospital. pic.twitter.com/da9ZrDbVwX
— EU Terror News (@EUterrornews) August 25, 2017
Belgian prosecutors say that the assailant is alive but in critical condition, while initial reports claimed that he is dead.
Belgian police have yet to comment on the incident.
#shooting again in #Brussels. Man down. #Attack again? pic.twitter.com/JbihJCLzyw
— Silvano Pautasso (@SilvanoPautasso) August 25, 2017
#Brussels attack on street level. #Brusselsattacks pic.twitter.com/1qSFyXQmbg
— Thomas da Silva Rosa (@tdasilvarosa) August 25, 2017
Brussels has been on heightened security levels since the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks that killed 137 and the March 2016 Brussels suicide bombing that killed 35. Daesh claimed responsibility for both incidents.
Last Thursday, a pair of car-ramming attacks in Catalonia, Spain killed 15 civilians: 14 in Barcelona and one in nearby Cambrils. Eight alleged terrorists were also killed by Spanish police.
