The 45-year-old man, who calls himself Abdesalem Al Guilani, has been in Europe for twelve years.
The Tunisian man who shot dead two Swedish fans in Brussels came to Lampedusa as an illegal migrant in 2011, and in 2016 the Italian anti-terrorist investigation directorate designated him as a radicalized person, the Rome Ministry of the Interior announced on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old man, who calls himself Abdesalem Al Guilani, has been in Europe for twelve years. According to the information provided by the Italian authorities, the man lived in Italy for a while and then went to Sweden, but returned to Italy several times during his stay there. He later moved to Belgium.
In 2016, he was identified by the Anti-Terrorist Investigation Directorate in Bologna, and was also placed under surveillance by the Italian Secret Service due to his radical views, after he disclosed that
he wants to join the jihad, the fight against Islamist terrorist organizations.
In a video posted on social media, Abdesalem Al Guilani claimed to be fighting for Allah and identified himself as a member of the Islamic State jihadist terrorist organization. Belgian federal prosecutors said on Tuesday that security forces had killed the 45-year-old Tunisian attacker in a cafe raid.
Another Islamist terrorist attack in Brussels, the Belgian-Swedish EC qualifier was interrupted
(MTI)
Featured image: Swedish fans at the King Baudouin Stadium, where the Belgium-Sweden football European Championship qualifying match was abandoned at half-time for security reasons on October 16, 2023. In Brussels, the highest level of terror preparedness was raised to level four after two people were shot dead and one person was injured in the city center before the start of the European Championship qualifier between Belgium and Sweden. Both victims were wearing Swedish soccer jerseys. According to eyewitnesses, the perpetrator said Allahu Akbar (Allah is the most powerful) before firing the shots. MTI/AP/Geert Vanden Wijngaert
