The Islamic State (ISIS) group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the terror attack in Brussels that killed two Swedes and seriously wounded a third.
It claimed that the attack targeted Sweden because of its membership of a global coalition fighting the jihadists.
“An Islamic State fighter carried out an attack against Swedish nationals on Monday,” ISIS said in a statement published on Amaq, its news outlet. “This attack comes in the context of operations called for by the Islamic State to target nationals of countries in this coalition,” it added.
Shortly after the attack at Place Sainctelette in Brussels on Monday evening, the perpetrator posted a video on social networks claiming responsibility for the incident, which occurred just before the start of the Belgium-Sweden football match. He also claimed to be a member of ISIS.
The man was finally fatally shot by police in Schaerbeek on Tuesday morning.
Sweden had trained Kurdish troops in Iraq to fight ISIS, which at one time dominated vast territories in Syria and neighbouring Iraq. Despite the military victory over the terrorist organisation, announced in 2019, cells remain active in the country and continue to carry out attacks.
