The man who attacked two female police officers with a machete in Charleroi, Belgium, has died after being shot by police. Belgium's prime minister said "preliminary indications" pointed to an act of terrorism.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/V. Lefour
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A man wielding a machete injured two female police officers in the Belgian city of Charleroi on Saturday, according to police and local media reports.
Police in Charleroi, a city 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Brussels, tweeted that two officers had been injured by an assailant who shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) during the attack.
The assailant later died of his injuries in hospital, according to local police.
The mayor of Charleroi, Paul Magnette, said the attack took place at a wooden structure erected outside the police station to provide extra security.
Magnette said the checkpoint prevented the attacker from further entering the building.
Terrorism 'indications'
One officer sustained deep cuts around her face and has been taken to the hospital, while her colleague suffered minor injuries, the Belgian news agency Belga reported.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told broadcaster RTL that "initial indications very clearly pointing to terrorism."
On Twitter, the leader wrote: "I strongly condemn the attack in Charleroi."
Michel is set to cut short his vacation in the south of France to return to Belgium for a meeting on Sunday with the National Security Council.
Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon called the attack "despicable" on Twitter and offered his full support to the injured officers and their families and colleagues.
Belgium has been on high alert since radical Islamists killed 32 people in suicide attacks in Brussels in March. Many of the attackers involved in the Paris attacks in November, which claimed the lives of 130 people, came from Belgium.
Brussels, Istanbul, Jakarta: Global terror in 2016
The March 22 terror attack in Brussels was Europe's deadliest since the November 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. DW takes a look at some of the major terrorist attacks across the globe in 2016.
Image: Reuters/F. Lenoir
Bombing in Istanbul: January 12
A suicide bombing on a popular square in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, left 13 people dead and more than a dozen injured. Almost all of the dead were foreigners. The perpetrator was identified as Nabil Fadli, a Syrian devotee of the "Islamic State" (IS).
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Kneffel
Jakarta bombings: January 14
Indonesian police commandos raided the house of a suspected terrorist in Cirebon, located on the island of Java, following the January 14, 2016, bomb attacks in Jakarta. A series of bombings in the capital left eight people dead and another 24 injured. IS claimed responsibility for the attack.
Image: Getty images/AFP/Str
Splendid Hotel attack: January 15
Al Qaeda-backed militants attacked the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. At least 23 people from 18 countries were killed. A joint operation by French and Burkinabe forces freed many hostages.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Elsen
Ankara bombing: February 17
Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed the attack on a convoy of buses, killing military personnel and civilians during the evening rush hour in Turkey's capital, Ankara. At least 29 people were killed and another 60 injured.
Image: Reuters/Ihlas News Agency
Hotel attack in Mogadishu: February 26
A suicide bomber rammed his car into a hotel in the Hamarweyne district of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, and then gunmen stormed the building. The attack, by militants linked to al Shabab, killed at least 15 people and left dozens wounded.
Image: Reuters/F. Omar
Grand-Bassam shootings: March 13
Gunmen linked to al Qaeda's North Africa branch attacked the Etoile du Sud hotel in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast. At least 18 people were killed and another 33 were injured. The hotel is popular with expats in Ivory Coast.
Image: Reuters/L. Gnago
Ankara bombing: March 13
A car filled with explosives blew up in a public square in the heart of the Turkish capital, killing 37 people and injuring 127. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility.
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
Brussels bombings: March 22
At least 34 people were killed and more than 170 injured in coordinated attacks in Brussels. Two blasts occurred at the departures area of Brussels Airport at about 8 a.m. One hour later, an explosion hit Maelbeek metro station, which is close to the main EU buildings.
