2018 Brussels stabbing attack

{{short description|20 November 2018 terrorist action in Brussels}}

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = 2018 Brussels stabbing attack

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| location = Brussels, Belgium

| target = Police, civilians

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| date = 20 November 2018

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| timezone = CET

| type = Stabbing

| fatalities = 0

| injuries = 2 (including the perpetrator)

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| weapons = Knife

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The 2018 Brussels stabbing attack occurred on 20 November 2018 when a man wielding two knives attacked police officers outside a police station adjacent to the Grand-Place/Grote Markt (main square) in Brussels, Belgium. A police officer was wounded and the attacker was shot and injured by the police. Both the attacker and a wounded officer were hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries. An investigation for possible links to terrorism is underway. Jan Jambon, Belgium's Minister of the Interior and Security, said the suspect had been interned and recently freed.{{cite news |last1=D.H. |title=Attaque au couteau d'un policier: ouverture d'une enquête contre le suspect Issam T. pour "tentative d'assassinat dans un contexte terroriste" |url=https://www.sudinfo.be/id86595/article/2018-11-20/attaque-au-couteau-dun-policier-ouverture-dune-enquete-contre-le-suspect-issam-t |accessdate=28 November 2018 |work=La Capitale |date=20 November 2018 |language=French |quote=l’a indiqué Jan Jambon sur Radio 1, « sur la base des informations dont nous disposons, [était] personne internée qui avait récemment été libérée ».}}

Incident

At around 5.30 am local time (CET) on 20 November 2018 a man attacked two policemen outside a police station adjacent to Brussels' central Grand-Place/Grote Markt, stabbing one of the officers in the neck with a knife.{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1047653/brussels-terror-attack-stabbing-policeman-police-officer|title=Brussels attack: Terror as police officer stabbed by knifeman 'screaming allahu akbar' | World | News|website=Express.co.uk|accessdate=20 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/europe/2018/1120/1012058-belgium-stabbing/|title=Police officer stabbed in knife attack in Brussels|date=20 November 2018|publisher=}} Witnesses reported that the knife-wielding attacker screamed "Allahu Akbar" as he threw himself at the two policemen.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/20/man-shot-stabbing-police-officer-neck-brussels/|title=Man shot after stabbing police officer in the neck in Brussels|first=James|last=Crisp|date=20 November 2018|publisher=|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}{{cite news |last1=Osborn |first1=Samuel |title=Brussels attack: Police officer stabbed in Belgium's capital before attacker shot |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-attack-stabbing-police-belgium-officer-shot-grand-place-terror-latest-a8642321.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-attack-stabbing-police-belgium-officer-shot-grand-place-terror-latest-a8642321.html |archive-date=1 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |accessdate=27 November 2018 |publisher=The Independent |date=20 November 2018}}{{cbignore}}{{cite news |last1=Kureshi |first1=Ashan |title=Poisonous fruits |url=https://nation.com.pk/24-Nov-2018/poisonous-fruits |accessdate=27 November 2018 |publisher=The Nation |date=24 November 2018}}

Impact

The wounded officer was then rushed to hospital. The Belgian police said that the officer who was injured was not in life-threatening danger, but would be incapacitated for many weeks.{{cite news |last1=NAWAL BENSALEM |title=Que sait-on aujourd'hui de l'enquête sur Issam T., l'auteur des coups de couteau contre un policier? |url=http://www.dhnet.be/actu/faits/que-sait-on-aujourd-hui-de-l-enquete-sur-issam-t-l-auteur-des-coups-de-couteau-contre-un-policier-5bf83864cd70fdc91b97e9c0 |accessdate=28 November 2018 |work=La Dernière Heure |date=24 November 2018 |language=French |quote=incapacité de travail pour plusieurs semaines, a précisé le parquet de Bruxelles hier matin}}

The attacker, who wielded two kitchen knives, survived his injuries, but was left in a critical condition.

Suspect

Belgian media reported the man, named by local press only as "Issam T," was known to police for robbery and violent crimes but not for any links to Islamic terrorism.{{cite news |last1=Pérez-Peña |first1=Richard |title=Brussels Police Officer Is Stabbed, Officials Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/world/europe/brussels-police-officer-stabbed.html |accessdate=27 November 2018 |work=New York Times |date=20 November 2018}} He was released from a secure hospital in October against the recommendation of the office of the public prosecutor, which has now opened an investigation into "attempted murder with a terrorist motive". The suspect had previously tried to kill a prison guard.{{cite web|url=https://www.lanouvellegazette.be/310456/article/2018-11-21/bruxelles-issam-t-avait-deja-tente-de-tuer-un-gardien-de-prison|title=Bruxelles: Issam T. avait déjà tenté de tuer un gardien de prison - Édition digitale de Charleroi|website=lanouvellegazette.be|accessdate=5 December 2018}}

Investigation

On 23 November, via a warrant issued for "murder and acts of terrorism", police searched the home of a friend of the suspect.{{cite news |last1=NAWAL BENSALEM |title=Policier poignardé à Bruxelles : perquisition dans l'entourage d'Issam T. ce vendredi matin |url=http://www.dhnet.be/actu/belgique/policier-poignarde-a-bruxelles-perquisition-dans-l-entourage-d-issam-t-ce-vendredi-matin-5bf7ce1ecd70e3d2f6dbe8c4 |accessdate=28 November 2018 |work=La Dernière Heure |date=23 November 2018 |language=French |quote=La DH apprend qu'une perquisition a eu lieu ce matin chez un ami du suspect placé sous mandat du chef de tentative de meurtre dans un contexte terroriste.}}