Terrorist Attack Halts Belgium-Sweden Football Match, Two Fans Killed: Report
According to reports in Belgian media, the two victims of the attack were wearing the jersey of Sweden.
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What happened in Brussels?
In an horrific incident, two football fans from Sweden were killed in a terrorist attack, leading to the abandonment of the 2024 UEFA Euro qualifier match between Belgium and Sweden at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
As per Belgian media outlet Het Laatste Nieuws, the two people killed were wearing football shirts of the Swedish team.
Swedish footballers informed UEFA that they did not want to play the second half of the match and the Belgian team agreed, according to Swedish channel TV6. Subsequently, the match was called off.
What Is Known About the Incident?
In videos that are doing rounds on social media, a man wearing a fluorescent jacket can be seen getting off a scooter armed with what seems to be an assault rifle and entering a building.
How Have the Authorities Reacted?
French President Emmanuel Macron, who was on a visit to Albania, said, "Europe has been shaken."
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo – via social media – offered his "sincere condolences to the Swedish PM following tonight's harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels".
"Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners the fight against terrorism is a joint one," he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed solidarity and said on social media her thoughts were "with the families of the two victims of the despicable attack in Brussels".
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