Belgian police hunt for masked gunmen after shooting outside Brussels metro
Police in Belgium are hunting armed men after a shooting outside a metro station in the centre of Brussels on Wednesday morning.
The incident took place outside Clémenceau station at around 6.15am just before the suspects fled into the metro tunnels.
Footage, which has not been verified, showed two hooded gunmen firing Kalashnikov-style rifles outside the station before running off.
Sarah Frederickx, of the Brussels South Local Police Service, said: "We are looking for several suspects. It is a small group, possible 2 or 3 people.
'They are possibly still armed, and we don't want to take any unnecessary risks. We understand that this is a far-reaching measure taken at a difficult time of the day. We will reopen the tunnels as quickly as possible'.
Thousands of Belgians are facing travel delays as two major Metro lines were closed off during the manhunt on Wednesday.
'South Station is the busiest station on the network and there are also a lot of commuters that arrive there by train and take the metro there.
'As a result of this the impact is major. We don't know how long it will go on for,' public transport company MIVB's spokesperson Guy Sablon said.
It comes after Sweden's worst mass shooting at a school left at least 11 people dead, including the gunman, on Tuesday.
Armed police exchanged fire with an unnamed shooter at Risbergska School in Örebro, 125 miles west of Stockholm.
Maria Pegado, 54, a teacher at the school, described hearing gunshots after someone opened the door and shouted at everyone to get out. "I took all my 15 students out into the hallway and we started running," she said.
"Then I heard two shots but we made it out. We were close to the school entrance. I saw people dragging injured out, first one, then another. I realised it was very serious.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Love Island star jailed for 14 years over role in ‘Amazon-style' drugs cartel which flooded UK with narcotics
She helped flood UK streets with "eye-opening" amounts of drugs 'KINGPIN' BARBIE Love Island star jailed for 14 years over role in 'Amazon-style' drugs cartel which flooded UK with narcotics Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A LOVE Island star has been jailed for 14 years for her crucial role in a multi-million pound "Amazon-style" drug smuggling operation. Magdalena Sadlo, nicknamed Barbie, helped transport hundreds of kilos of cocaine across the world for a major cartel based in the Middle East. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Carlisle Crown Court heard that Sadlo was brought in as a financial director for the smuggling ring Credit: Polsat / Love Island 6 The Love Island contestant acted as the business brain for the cartel Credit: Supplied 6 She helped organise the shipment of cocaine, ketamine and cannabis to the UK Credit: Polsat / Love Island The 30-year-old, who appeared in the 2021 series of Love Island in her native Poland, was working in hospitality in Dubai whilst helping to flood UK streets with "eye-opening" amounts of drugs. Carlisle Crown Court heard that Sadlo, of Bracknell, Berkshire, was brought in as a financial director for the smuggling ring. Their operation was so slick that some investigators compared it to Amazon. She helped organise the shipment of cocaine, ketamine and cannabis to Holland and then on to Britain. Prosecuting, Tim Evans told how the international cartel could not have operated at the level it did without Sadlo's "efficiency". He said: "She not only manages the profits, costs and expenses but also manages the stock levels. "She updates who has taken what, at what cost, from what batch and the profit margins involved. "She is very much part of the inner circle… and is operating and seated at the very highest of tables. "She clearly knew the scale and seriousness of the trade she was engaging in. "No organised crime group working at this level could operate or function without Magdalena Sadlo, or an equivalent, performing this role." While based in the UK, she operated as a drugs courier, often collecting cocaine as it was imported into the port of Harwich in Essex. Drugs experts believe she moved 300kg of cocaine across seven trips, including 33kg of cocaine to Greater Manchester on one date alone. Love Island star, 29, caught smuggling COCAINE on flight from Dubai as part of £53MILLION drug ring The drugs were stored in safe houses in the Manchester area before being distributed to dealers over several months using BMWs. She then helped launder the proceeds by investing in designer clothes and luxury watches including a £130,000 Patek Philippe and a £30,000 Rolex. Detectives held Sadlo when she landed at Heathrow Airport on February 13 last year, having flown Emirates first class from Dubai. She was caught carrying luxury watches, bracelets and rings, and a 'crime CV' boasting her business acumen and qualifications. Encrypted texts on her phones revealed her "Barbie" nickname. In one message, she quipped: 'The devil works hard, but Barbie works harder.' Sadlo was due to have been sentenced in April after admitting conspiring to supply drugs and to launder money. 6 Encrypted texts on her phones revealed her 'Barbie' nickname Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 6 Detectives held Sadlo (left) when she landed at Heathrow Airport in February last year Credit: Polsat / Love Island But sentencing was adjourned after insisting she played only a minor role as a £1,000-a-month personal assistant. Finally sentencing her to 14 years yesterday, Judge Nicholas Barker said that Sadlo was "central" to the organisation. He added: "I conclude there was gain and reward and in some way considerable to you. "You are an intelligent woman and well understand risk and reward. "I find you acted with real enthusiasm and sought to impress those at top." Thirteen members of the gang have already been jailed for up to 20 years each.
NBC News
15 hours ago
- NBC News
Afghan man accused of planning an Election Day attack in the U.S. pleads guilty
An Afghan man in Oklahoma accused of planning an Election Day attack in the U.S. on behalf of the Islamic State group pleaded guilty Friday to terrorism-related charges in federal court. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, pleaded guilty to two offenses: conspiring and providing support to the Islamic State group, and attempting to receive firearms to commit a federal crime of terrorism. The Islamic State is designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization. Tawhedi faces up to 35 years in prison. 'The defendant admits he planned and obtained firearms to carry out a violent terror attack on Election Day in 2024, a plot that was detected and disrupted through the good work of the FBI and our partners,' FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. A phone message was left seeking comment from Craig Hoehns, an attorney for Tawhedi. Tawhedi was living in Oklahoma City last year when he acquired two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition to target large crowds, according to court documents. Authorities said he had conspired with multiple people, including his brother-in-law, Abdullah Haji Zada, for several months to plot out the attack. Zada, who was 17 at the time, was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty in April. He faces up to 15 years in prison. Tawhedi arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 on a special immigration visa shortly after the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul, was captured by the Taliban. At the time of his arrest on Oct. 7, Tawhedi was on parole while his immigration status was pending, according to the Justice Department. His parole status has since been revoked. FBI agents had testified earlier that Tawhedi, who worked as a rideshare driver and at auto shops, was under surveillance for more than a month before his arrest.
NBC News
18 hours ago
- NBC News
Kanye West appears at federal courthouse to support Diddy
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial. Today, U.S. government prosecutors called two witnesses in an apparent attempt to add texture to their portrait of Diddy's drug-fueled 'freak offs' and his lifestyle as the head of an alleged criminal conspiracy. Here's what you need to know: Andre LeMon, a Department of Homeland Security investigator who led the search of Diddy's vast home in Los Angeles last year, said agents found 900 bottles of Astroglide lubricant, 200 bottles of baby oil and a cache of weapons, including AR-15-style firearms, Smith & Wesson rifles and a Ruger rifle. Jonathan Perez, one of Diddy's former personal assistants, recounted finding a video recording of a 'freak off' featuring Diddy's ex-girlfriend 'Jane' on a company iPad. Perez said Diddy kept cash, cocaine, ketamine, Adderall, Xanax and molly in a Gucci pouch — a must-have for the 'king nights' the defendant spent in hotels with women. Perez, under cross-examination from defense lawyerBrian Steel, said Jane appeared to be a willing participant in 'king nights.' Perez agreed with Steel that those nights took place on Diddy's personal time, outside of work — complicating the U.S. government's allegation that the defendant used professional resources to run a criminal enterprise. ALSO: Juror #6 could be dismissed from the panel after he allegedly gave conflicting answers about where he lives. Judge Arun Subramanian is going to make a decision next week on whether to remove and replace the juror in question. — Daniel Arkin, national reporter 🔎 The view from inside By Adam Reiss, Chloe Melas, Katherine Koretski and Jing Feng Ye, the controversial hip-hop artist formerly known as Kanye West, arrived at the courthouse today in an apparent show of support for Diddy. The scene was wild, with reporters running for the elevators or sprinting across the outdoor promenade to get a closer look. Ye's appearance was notable partly because so few high-profile celebrities have publicly aligned themselves with Diddy since he came under federal investigation. However, Ye didn't enter the courtroom. He left the building after about 30 minutes, following a brief stop in the overflow area. In other news: Maurene Comey, one of the prosecutors, complained to the judge that Diddy was 'nodding emphatically' as his ex-girlfriend Jane and the Homeland Security agent testified. Steel pushed back, saying his client has been 'nothing but professional.' Subramanian, who scolded Diddy's team last week after the rapper apparently made facial expressions at jurors, told Comey it would be 'impossible to police' everyone in the courtroom but made clear 'we will keep an eye out' for any inappropriate behavior. Diddy appeared to be experiencing sinus congestion today, grabbing tissues and blowing his nose audibly on a few occasions. He appeared engaged in the proceedings, seeming to listen closely to the federal agent's testimony and regularly passing sticky notes to his attorneys. 👨⚖️ Analysis: The character question By Danny Cevallos One thing federal prosecutors are really good at is finding a way to bring in evidence that has little to do with the alleged crimes, but makes the defendant look really bad. We've heard a lot of testimony about Diddy's girlfriends finding out about his apparent romantic trips with other women. We've heard about Combs getting caught going to the Caribbean with another woman. More recently, Jane and Perez testified about Jane finding out Diddy took another woman on a trip to Wyoming. Diddy cheating on his girlfriends has virtually nothing to do with sex trafficking or racketeering. It shows how assistants helped cover up and facilitate Diddy's lifestyle. But the cheating? Not really essential to any element of a crime. Instead, there's one piece of evidence that the prosecution wants to introduce but is largely prohibited from doing so: his bad character. Evidence of a defendant's lousy morality is usually inadmissible because it's unfair. We don't want juries convicting defendants because they are bad people. We want juries to convict defendants because they are guilty of that particular crime. Evidence of bad character is just too powerful: It's hard for us to give anyone — let alone a criminal defendant — a fair chance after we've heard they've done terrible things. Prosecutors know this. That's why they try to find ways to crowbar this kind of evidence into the case (lawfully, of course). The prosecution is expected to rest its case sometime next week. PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here.
