Two Swedes shot dead in Brussels; Belgium raises terror alert to top level

Police officers patrol as supporters leave the King Baudouin Stadium following the Euro 2024 qualifying football match between Belgium and Sweden in Brussels on October 16, 2023, after two Swedes were shot dead in an attack in Brussels. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)

BRUSSELS, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Two Swedish nationals were shot to death and a third person was wounded in central Brussels on Monday night, and a man who identified himself as a member of the Islamic State claimed responsibility in a video posted online.

The suspected assailant fled the scene after the shooting as a football match between Belgium and Sweden was about to start, triggering a massive manhunt and prompting Belgium to raise its terror alert to the highest level.

A Belgian federal prosecutor said there was no evidence that the attacker, who was still on the loose, had any link to the recent renewed conflict…