Share

Man kills 3 in Belgian city after seizing police weapons

Liege — A knife-wielding man stabbed two police officers on Tuesday in the Belgian city of Liege, stole their weapons and shot them and a bystander dead in an attack that prosecutors fear could be terror-related.

The attacker, who was later killed by police, was an inmate who had been granted a few hours release on Monday but failed to return to prison, officials said. It wasn't immediately clear why he was imprisoned, but media reports say that he's a known drug offender.

Liege prosecutors' spokesperson Philippe Dulieu said the man approached two police officers from behind carrying a knife and stabbed them several times.

"He then took their weapons. He used the weapons on the officers, who died," Dulieu told reporters.

Dulieu said the attacker then shot dead a 22-year-old man in a vehicle that was just leaving a parking place outside a nearby high school. The attacker then took a woman hostage inside the school.

"Liege police intervened. He came out firing at police, wounding a number of them, notably in the legs. He was shot dead," the spokesperson said.

A senior official at the federal prosecutor's office told The Associated Press that "there are indications it could be a terror attack."

Despite this, Belgium's crisis center said it saw no reason to raise the country's terror threat alert for now.

Both police officers who were killed Tuesday were women, the mayor's office said.

"Yes, they are two women," the official in Mayor Willy Demeyer's office told AFP when asked to confirm media reports that two female officers were killed.

When asked about the report that the attack was terror-related, Liege city hall Michel Firket told the AP: "I know nothing formal about that. The police is doing its investigation. There are no formal conclusions."

A spokeswoman for the city mayor's office, Laurence Comminette, told the AP that the children at the school were all safe.

Prime Minister Charles Michel said only that "there was a serious incident." He later met with Liege city officials.

Yves Stevens of Belgium's federal crisis center said that security in Liege is now under control, and that there was no reason yet to raise the national terror threat level.

"There is absolutely no confirmation yet that the incident is terror-related," Stevens told the AP.

Video posted on Twitter by a person claiming to be a witness showed people running in the area. About six gunshots could be heard.

Belgian police and military have been on alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people at the Brussels airport and subway system in 2016.

It's not the first time Liege has been hit by a similarly violent attack. In December 2011, a man with a history of weapons and drug offenses left home with hand grenades and guns before he lobbed the grenades into a square filled with Christmas shoppers and fired on those who escaped. Five were killed, including the assailant.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 548 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 789 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.90
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.85
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.1%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE