Inquiry launched into terror threat in downtown Brussels

A threat displayed on the European Parliament building saying an attack would be carried out on Wednesday evening in Brussels’ main square is being investigated by authorities, public prosecutors announced.

“Bruselas (sic) will be attacked tomorrow at 6:00pm in Grand Place by a guy with a neon shirt,” the message, displayed on a screen in the parliament’s building on Tuesday evening and signed “Abulah Hakimi,” read.

The OCAD counter-terrorism cell and Brussels’ public prosecutor are leading the investigation after an image of the threat was shared by a communications officer working in the European Parliament.

Menace d’attaque terroriste ce mercredi soir au centre de #Bruxelles.
C’est en tout cas le message inquiétant taggé hier sur le mur virtuel du Parlerment européen.
La police belge et les services de sécurité Européens ont été immédiatement avertis.#Alerte #Europe #Bruxelles pic.twitter.com/DWGYjCwfSS

— Emmanuel Foulon (@efoulon1) June 26, 2019

“It is a screen on a building of the European Parliament in Rue Wiertz,” Denis Goeman of Brussels’ public prosecutor’s office told Bruzz, adding that visitors are allowed to display messages on the screen.

The public prosecutor’s office has said that the threat is being evaluated, adding that “terrorists who announce an attack are rare,” according to a source cited by Bruzz.

Authorities are reviewing surveillance camera footage in an effort to identify the person who left the threat.

Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times