A suspected suicide bomber triggered an explosion at Brussels Central Station has been gunned down and killed by soldiers.
Witnesses said the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) before setting off the blast, which triggered a small but intense ball of flames in the station hall.
There were no other casualties apart from the suspect, who was confirmed dead by prosecutors hours after the attack.
Shots rang out soon after 8 pm on Tuesday as police and soldiers moved in to ‘neutralise’ the man, who was said to be ‘threatening rail passengers’ in what is being treated as a terrorist incident.
The attacker’s body was left lying in the station for several hours as medics could not approach him for fear that the explosives strapped to him could go off any second, official authorities said.
Initial reports suggested the suspect – described as being ‘tanned, well-built and in his 30s’ – was wearing an explosive vest or rucksack, while witnesses later claimed he tried to blow up a trolley or a suitcase.
Terrified passengers inside the station ran towards the tracks as they tried to avoid the blast while crying tourists outside fled in panic. Within a few minutes, the busy nearby shops and restaurants were shut down.
A bomb squad performed a controlled explosion of a bomb belt the suspect had on at the Central Station and evacuated the city’s famed Grand Place square 650 feet away while checking to see if there more hazards.
The suspect was shot by soldiers who were already patrolling the station when they swooped on the attacker. There were no other casualties and police quickly said the situation was ‘under control’.
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