In a startling change of events resulted in the abandonment of a Euro 2024 qualifier game between Belgium and Sweden due to a potential terrorist attack in Brussels. On October 16, 2023, in the evening, the incident took place and shocked everyone in sports and beyond.
This took place just three miles near the King Baudouin Stadium, where the game was supposed to take place. The local Dutch-language daily Het Laatste claimed that two people wearing Sweden football shirts were tragically killed in the incident.
Videos containing terrifying visuals of a shooter chasing a person into a building and firing rounds have been spreading on social media in connection with the incident. The attacker is thought to have run off while donning a vibrant orange jacket.
Arena Lockdown
More than 35,000 spectators who had assembled at the King Baudouin Stadium found themselves in an unusual scenario as the investigation and manhunt for the shooter progressed. Belgian police had the difficult choice to keep people inside the stadium for security concerns due to the suspect still being at large and allegations of continued threats; this forced an evacuation that started at around midnight local time.
Developing Investigation
The inquiry is focused on a potential terrorist motive for the shooting, according to Eric Van Duyse, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office.” He said, “During the course of the evening, a claim of accountability was made on social media and recorded by someone claiming to be the attacker. This person asserts to be motivated by the Islamic State
Van Duyse also emphasised the security measures put in place to defend and secure the safety of Swedish supporters.
Reactions and High Alert
Belgium’s national crisis center raised the terrorist alert to the highest level in Brussels and the second-highest across the rest of the country, reflecting the gravity of the situation. Players from both teams reportedly refused to return to the pitch for the final 45 minutes of the match, in a powerful statement of solidarity. A UEFA spokesperson confirmed the match’s abandonment after consultations with the teams and local authorities.
Sweden’s Previous Warnings
Following a string of Quran burnings along with threats from Islamic terrorist groups in reaction to actions by an Iraqi refugee living in Sweden, Sweden increased its terror warning to the second-highest level in August. The nation was on high alert as a result of these earlier episode.
The unfortunate act that took place more than an hour before the game, according to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, was “linked to terrorism.” This occurrence has repercussions far beyond the world of athletics, highlighting the value of cooperation and alertness in the face of such dangers.
The world waits in suspense as police step up their efforts to apprehend the attacker, lamenting the loss of two lives and yearning for a future devoid of such senseless bloodshed.
Article by Debanjana Talukdar
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