Three injured in knife attack at Brussels metro station near European Commission: Report

Three people were reportedly injured on Monday afternoon during a knife attack inside a metro station in Brussels, located right below the headquarters of the European Commission.

A call was made to firefighters at 17:48 requesting two ambulances, a spokesperson told Euronews.

Two people were taken to the hospital while one woman, who appeared to be slightly injured, was given a blanket, according to a Euronews reporter on the ground.

The attacker was arrested by Belgian police, Brussels mayor Philippe Close confirmed on Twitter.

“Stabbing attack in Schuman station: Cooperation with the various federal and state police services @zpz_polbru led to the rapid arrest of the perpetrator,” he wrote.

The police did not immediately provide more details about the incident.

Police cars and ambulances surrounded the area and traffic was cut while the Schuman metro station was closed to the public, STIB-MIVB, the city’s public transport company, confirmed.

A witness told Euronews the assault unfolded inside a metro car when the attacker stabbed a woman with a knife and asked passengers to exit. 

“I got into the metro carriage,” Salaheddine told Euronews, and “the doors closed and then one moment I saw a crowd of people coming out shouting.”

“What happened was that it was a man with a knife. He stabbed, as I understand it, a woman and then he wanted to attack us. What he wanted, mainly, was for us to get out of the carriage and for him to be alone while waiting for the police.”

“But despite everything, as you know, in this station there are many strains, etc., so people, passengers, get out and therefore find themselves in front of this gentleman and so he becomes a little violent,” he added. 

Another witness, Christine, told Euronews she was in the metro when she heard “get out, get, run away”.

“So I went without looking. There were people running. I took my child and did too,” she said. “Afterwards we saw injured people, people who had fallen.”