Lionel Gougelot 09:17, October 17, 2023
The man suspected of killing two people of Swedish nationality on Monday night in Brussels was arrested on Tuesday morning in the Belgian capital, according to information from Europe 1. An act claimed in the name of the Islamic State and which specifically targeted Swedes.A man suspected of killing two Swedes in an attack in Brussels on Monday night was arrested on Tuesday morning in the Belgian capital, Europe 1 reported. The arrest took place in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek, where a building had been searched during the night.
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Who is the prime suspect?
The suspect, Abdesalem L., is a 45-year-old man of Tunisian origin who lives in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek. Illegally present in Belgium, he was convicted in his country for common law offences.
A few years ago, Belgium would have been informed of his radicalized profile: a candidate for jihad. This information could not be confirmed and therefore did not allow him to be filed.
Why were Swedes targeted?
A few hours before a Euro 2024 football qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden at the King Baudouin Stadium, the shooter allegedly targeted Swedish fans to avenge acts of desecration of the Koran that occurred in Sweden. In recent months, activists, including far-right activists, have burned Korans in public in the northern European country, prompting the Swedish embassy in Baghdad to burn down after a protest last July.
In a video, Abdesalem L. claimed responsibility for his actions before carrying out the act, explaining in essence that he wanted to sacrifice himself in response to the attacks on the Book of Allah.