Probable ISIS extremist shot dead 2 Swedes in Brussels in retaliation for murdering 6-year-old Illinois boy

A possible ISIS terrorist shot and killed two Swedish citizens in Brussels on Monday night, claiming to avenge the murder of a Muslim boy in the US.

The gunman, who identified himself as Abdesalam Al Guilani and a soldier of Allah, posted a video on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, before the attack. He said he was from the Islamic State and that he was targeting Swedes because of their disrespect for the Quran, the holy book of Islam.

He also said he was motivated by the killing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois, who was stabbed to death by his landlord, allegedly because of his religion. The boy’s mother was also seriously injured in the attack.

The landlord, 71-year-old Joseph M. Czuba, was arrested and charged with murder and hate crimes. He was denied bail at his initial court appearance on Monday.

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“They called it a brutal crime because he was a Muslim,” Al Guilani wrote on X, according to a Belgian media outlet.

“If the murdered were a Christian and the murderer was a Muslim, the subject would have been terrorism.”

The shooting took place near the center of Brussels, where Belgium was hosting Sweden in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match. The victims were wearing Swedish football shirts, according to Sky Sports.

The match was halted at halftime due to the “suspected terrorist attack,” UEFA said on X.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo expressed his condolences to his Swedish counterpart on X. He said Belgium and Sweden were close partners in the fight against terrorism.

“Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners the fight against terrorism is a joint one,” he said.

Sweden has faced backlash from some Muslims in recent months, after several anti-Muslim and right-wing activists have held public burnings of the Quran with police permission.

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In July, hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire, ahead of a planned Quran burning outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm.

Iraq also cut diplomatic ties with Sweden, expelling the Swedish ambassador, recalling its own envoy in Sweden, and suspending the working permit of Swedish company Ericsson in Iraq.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has condemned the Quran burnings, saying they were legal but inappropriate.

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