Terrorist thwarted at Brussels train station

UPDATE: A Belgian federal magistrate identified the man who failed to fully detonate a bomb at Brussels’ Central Station Tuesday night as a Moroccan national. Eric Van der Sypt did not release the attacker’s name, but said he was not previously known to authorities for terror activities. The man tried to detonate a bomb but only released a small explosion before Belgian soldiers shot him dead and neutralized the weapon. Van der Sypt said authorities found a gas canister and nails in the suspect’s bag: “It was clear he wanted to cause much more damage than what happened.” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the country would step up security, especially at a Coldplay concert scheduled for King Baudouin stadium Wednesday.

OUR EARLIER REPORT (6/20/17, 5:54 p.m.): Belgian soldiers shot a terror suspect after a small explosion at Brussels’ Central Station Tuesday night. A bomb squad performed a controlled detonation of a bomb belt the suspect was wearing. Authorities set up a perimeter around the busy train station near the city’s Grand Place square, while VTM network reported that authorities were making sure there were no more hazards. Initial reports indicate that no one other than the suspect was injured and damage from the exposion was limited. According to federal prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt, authorities are treating the incident “as a terrorist attack” that was thwarted when the suspect was “neutralized.” Van der Sypt added, “We do not know if the man is still alive or that he is dead.” Nicolas Van Herreweghen, who works for Belgium’s national rail company, said the man became agitated and began shouting about jihadists and then yelled “Allahu akbar” before blowing up something on a baggage trolley. Belgium’s national newspaper, La Libre Belgique, reported that the prosecutor’s office said the suspect was wearing a backpack and an explosive belt. Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people on the Brussels subway and at an airport in March 2016, but Belgian authorities who monitor security threats said Tuesday night’s attack so far did not warrant raising the alert level higher. Rail company spokeswoman Elisa Roux said trains were diverted from the station and buses were sent out to transport passengers to the area.

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