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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 21 June 2017

Brussels train station blast being treated as terror attack

By RAF CASERT man Arnaud Reymann told
LORNE COOK broadcaster RTL.
Associated Press National newspaper La Li-
BRUSSELS (AP) — bre Belgique quoted the
Belgian authorities said prosecutor’s office as say-
they foiled a “terror attack” ing the suspect was wear-
Tuesday when soldiers shot ing a backpack and an
a suspect after a small ex- explosive belt.
plosion at a busy Brussels The information could not
train station that continued be immediately confirmed.
a week of attacks in the Photos posted on social
capitals of Europe. media showed a small fire
Federal prosecutor Eric in the station.
Van der Sypt said soldiers The Central Station is one
“neutralized” a suspect at of the busiest in the nation
the Central Station imme- and soldiers could be seen
diately after the explosion patrolling there after the
there on Tuesday night explosion.
and “we do not know if the It was evacuated along
man is still alive or that he is with the Belgian capital’s
dead.” Grand Place, a major tour-
“This incident is considered Belgian police stand in front of a police cordon as people are evacuated at the Grand Place ist site about 200 meters
as a terrorist attack,” Van square near Central Station in Brussels after a reported explosion on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Bel- (656 feet) away.
der Sypt said. gian media are reporting that explosion-like noises have been heard at a Brussels train station, Rail company spokeswom-
Belgium’s Crisis Center, prompting the evacuation of a main square. an Elisa Roux said Tuesday
which monitors security (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) evening that trains were
threats in the country, said television reported. Authori- The attack, which took akbar,” Arabic for “God is diverted from the station
based on initial informa- ties set up a wide perimeter place during a rare heat- great,” before blowing up and buses sent out to take
tion it did not see a need around the station, locat- wave in Belgium, came something on a baggage passengers to the area.
to raise the country’s terror ed near the city’s famed around 8.30 p.m., well after trolley. Belgium has been on high
threat to the highest level Grand Place square. the evening rush hour had He said the man appeared alert since suicide bomb-
and kept it at the second- Van der Sypt refused to dissipated. to be 30 to 35 years of age. ers killed 32 people on the
highest level. comment on the VTM re- Nicolas Van Herreweghen, The government agency Brussels subway and at an
A bomb squad performed port. who works for Belgium’s that owns Belgium’s rail- airport in March 2016.
a controlled explosion of He said no one else was in- national rail company, said ways was warned by a train Extra police and soldiers
a bomb belt the suspect jured besides the suspect the male suspect was very driver who saw people run- in camouflage gear have
had at the Central Station, and the damage from the agitated, yelling about ji- ning across the rail lines become a common sight
Belgian broadcaster VTM explosion was limited. hadists and then “Allahu inside the station, spokes- in crowded areas. q
Neighbors: Alleged mosque attacker made anti-Muslim slurs

By PAISLEY DODDS widened Tuesday. once associated with sev- that the van had “run over sleeping across the vehi-
MARIA CHENG The attack unfolded Mon- eral extremist preachers his legs.” cle’s front three seats with
Associated Press day when the alleged as- before it was shut down Edward Gardiner, who lives the door open. On Satur-
LONDON (AP) — Neighbors sailant, identified by Brit- and reformed, is located in the alleged assailant’s day, Osborne had been
and acquaintances de- ish media as 47-year-old nearby. Nine people were neighborhood outside the thrown out of the Hollybush
scribed the man who alleg- Darren Osborne, drove a injured in the attack. Welsh capital of Cardiff pub after drinking heavily
edly attacked a group of rental van into a crowd of One man also died after some 150 miles from where and getting into an argu-
Muslim worshippers as an Muslim worshippers out- slipping outside the Muslim the attack occurred, said ment.
unemployed lout who was side a mosque in the north Welfare House as evening he called police early Sun- “I could smell alcohol on
drinking heavily and mak- London neighborhood of prayers concluded for the day morning to report a him and he was grunting
ing anti-Muslim remarks in Finsbury Park, an area with holy month of Ramadan. man who appeared to be and groaning,” Gardiner
the days before the attack a significant Muslim popu- Makram Ali, 51, died at drunk sprawled inside a said. “I poked him but he
— details to be closely ex- lation. The larger Finsbury the scene in his daughter’s parked rental van. He said didn’t respond so I called
amined as the investigation Park Mosque, which was arms. She told neighbors the man appeared to be (police). q