Brussels shooting: Police treating killing of two Swedes as terrorism

Two people have been shot dead in the Belgian capital Brussels on Monday evening, police have said.

Belgium's prime minister later confirmed that the victims were Swedish. Prosecutors are treating the shooting as an act of terrorism.

The Belgium-Sweden Euro 2024 qualifier football match, being played in the city, has been canceled, according to Uefa.

The shooter fled the scene and is still on the run. Brussels has raised its terror threat level to the highest point.

A video posted on social media featured an Arabic-speaking man claiming responsibility for the attack in the name of God. In the clip, he stated that he had killed three people. However, the Federal Prosecutor's office has viewed the video but cannot confirm whether he is the actual gunman.

The video and others shared during the attack are currently under police verification, as reported by the BBC.

Federal prosecutors in Belgium have announced the opening of a terrorism probe in the wake of the shooting on the Boulevard d'Ypres. A video shared by Het Laatste Nieuws, a newspaper, showed a man in a fluorescent jacket dismounting from a scooter with what appears to be an assault-style rifle. He then entered a nearby glass-fronted building and appeared to shoot at least one person.

Police and emergency services have cordoned off nearby roads following the shooting, which occurred at around 19:00 local time (17:00 GMT; 18:00 BST).

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo expressed his condolences to the Swedish Prime Minister through his social media platform, X, formerly Twitter, regarding the tragic attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels. He extended sympathy to the families and friends of the victims and emphasized the joint fight against terrorism as close partners.

It is still unknown whether the victims were in Brussels to watch their national team play.

French President Emmanuel Macron commented that Brussels had been targeted by an "Islamist terrorist attack." He made this statement while speaking in Albania, noting that Europe is experiencing upheaval due to such incidents.