Brussels Explosion Now Considered a Terror Attack

Image: PHOTO: Tourists in Brussels, Belgium. (photo via Flickr/Bryn Pinzgauer)
Image: PHOTO: Tourists in Brussels, Belgium. (photo via Flickr/Bryn Pinzgauer)
Donald Wood
by Donald Wood
Last updated: 5:10 PM ET, Tue June 20, 2017

Law enforcement officials foiled a "terror attack" in Belgium Tuesday evening after a suspect set off a small explosion at the busy Brussels Central Station.

According to ABCNews.com, the man was heard yelling "Allahu akbar," which means "God is great" in Arabic, before detonating an unidentified item on one of the rail station's baggage carts.

The suspect, who was reportedly wearing an explosive belt and a backpack, was "neutralized" immediately following the blast according to the Federal Prosecutor's Office. It was later reported the man was shot and killed by soldiers on site.

[CALLOUT]

The station was evacuated and the bomb squad called to the scene due to concerns about additional explosives in the area. Authorities also evacuated the city's main square, the Grand Place, one of the city's most visited tourist sites. Trains were diverted from the station as authorities investigated, but buses were brought in to transport stranded passengers.

Both the Belgian military and local police responded to the incident. Authorities have since announced that the situation is now under control.

No other injuries occurred during the attack and damages to the building has deemed to be limited.

This is the third major incident in a European capital this week and follows a van striking a crowd of worshippers leaving a mosque in London and a vehicle loaded with weapons and explosives ramming a police car on Paris' famed Champs-élysées thoroughfare.

It is also the second attack to occur in Belgium in 14 months. In March 2016, a total of 32 people died in coordinated attacks on Brussels Airport and the city's metro system.


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Donald Wood

Donald Wood

Managing Editor

Donald Wood is TravelPulse’s Managing Editor, bringing nearly 15 years of experience to the desk. He currently lives outside Philadelphia with his wife and two children.

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