The mayor of Saint-Gilles, Jean Spinette, has urgently called on Interior Minister Bernard Quintin to provide immediate reinforcements for the Brussels prosecutor’s office and federal judicial police following a recent explosion in the municipality.
Mr Spinette stressed the need for investigators and patrols to ensure the safety of residents at night, while rejecting the deployment of military personnel.
He condemned the “shocking” attack, noting that a school was once again directly affected by what he described as part of a “territorial war between criminal organisations”. The mayor had made a similar plea last October, following nearby gunfire that struck a local school.
“This is escalating uncontrollably, with shootings and explosions occurring back-to-back. It’s a real scourge for the municipality,” he lamented. He described the situation as “serious organised crime”, driven by rival organisations competing for control of territories and drug-related dealings.
Police were alerted to the explosion at around 00:20 on Rue Théodore Verhaegen, outside the OKLM Chicha Lounge Bar near Barrière de Saint-Gilles. The explosion damaged the targeted venue, several nearby homes, and the façade of a bar, while shattering windows at the Institut des Filles de Marie across the street. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
This incident follows another explosion on Rue de Bosnie earlier in the week, which damaged around ten vehicles, and gunfire reported on Rue Gisbert Combaz the following night. No injuries were reported in those cases either, and investigations are underway in all three incidents.
