Deadly blasts rock central Liege in Belgium

www.lesoir.be...

If you run that through a translate Le Soir has a live feed.
1 man still on the run.

So does the Guardian.
www.guardian.co.uk...

reply to post by fiftyfifty


Just last week there was a violent robbery of an electronics store only 10 minutes from where i live (1 hour from liège. Cops were fired upon with kalasjnikovs. Not saying that there is a connection, but shootings with kalasjnikovs are very rare around here.

I'm not sure I'm believing the theory that this was about liberating prisoners from the courthouse. It looks to me from the images that the bus shelter was attacked, that's not conducive to an attempt to liberate anyone.
And why would someone be on foot, throwing grenades, would they then try to outrun the police on foot?

Sorry, I'm not buying that explanation.

The latest is that there were three attackers, one killed himself by gunshot to the head, another was arrested and the third is still on the run. That doesn't sound like they had a vehicle to escape with anyone.

The spokesman on the phone to the BBC is saying that there was not an attack on the courthouse, they hit the bus stop and then tried to get to the courthouse after that.

Very sad indeed.

For the Belgians out here, call me crazy, but i think its a strange coincident that yesterday the whole train traffic was abrupted in Brussels for 2 hours, all because a train supposedly hit a man on the tracks.

Originally posted by detachedindividual
I'm not sure I'm believing the theory that this was about liberating prisoners from the courthouse. It looks to me from the images that the bus shelter was attacked, that's not conducive to an attempt to liberate anyone.
And why would someone be on foot, throwing grenades, would they then try to outrun the police on foot?

Sorry, I'm not buying that explanation.

The latest is that there were three attackers, one killed himself by gunshot to the head, another was arrested and the third is still on the run. That doesn't sound like they had a vehicle to escape with anyone.

The spokesman on the phone to the BBC is saying that there was not an attack on the courthouse, they hit the bus stop and then tried to get to the courthouse after that.

Very sad indeed.

edit on 13-12-2011 by detachedindividual because: BBC, not Sky

I just read that the dead attacker was shot by police, so not a suicide. Also that 3 or 4 bus stops were destroyed.

reply to post by detachedindividual


not all criminals are intelligent...500€ and you can get your ak-47 and some smokes...

but you made a good point...the bus station is far away and there is really no need to do so if you want to liberate someone from a building across the street....

anyway - its absolutly unconfirmed...!!!

Originally posted by Cyanhide
For the Belgians out here, call me crazy, but i think its a strange coincident that yesterday the whole train traffic was abrupted in Brussels for 2 hours, all because a train supposedly hit a man on the tracks.

That is not uncommon in Belgium. Responses to train accidents and technical problems are notoriously uncoördinated here.

47 are injured 7 being serious.

reply to post by detachedindividual


Anders' sleeper cells is the first thought that came to my mind. Once we know more about the shooters we will be able to tell if it' related or not.

Here are some more clips of the aftermath:

Aftermath

reply to post by pazcat


To add to your post, in the Le Soir link, it says there were three attackers. One shot himself in the head, another one taking refuge in the Palais de Justice, but no words on the third man. Some one posting below the article also says there was a man 40 something that was atop a bakery and that he threw the bombs. Could it be the third man?
Surely it was easy for him to escape through the building...

Originally posted by Hessdalen
reply to post by detachedindividual

 

not all criminals are intelligent...500€ and you can get your ak-47 and some smokes...

Oh, I agree, but you'd think that with three men involved at least one of them would have paused in the planning and said "I think we'll need a getaway car" lol

From everything I've seen, I just don't see this being an attempt to liberate anyone. People don't start lobbing grenades around at bus stops to free someone from a courthouse.
Even if it were at the courthouse, it's mindless violence, it doesn't have a purpose.
Killing random people in the street is not the way to achieve anything other than death and destruction, that's why I'm not buying any explanation other than a traditional terrorist attack.
While I'm glad it's nothing near the scale of Mumbai, this is what it seems to be emulating, and that's why I think the police response and reporting is all wrong.

According to Sky, local media are making public announcements advising that all three/four attackers are still at large. They're advising all members of the public to seek safety and lock themselves inside.

I don't want to say it, but everything is pointing to a Mumbai-style terrorist attack. If they're still out there on foot, this could go on for a while yet.

I really hope they catch those ****ers soon.

reply to post by detachedindividual

yesterday was a honor-killing conviction from an "extended family"...the source from belgium in german tvv says thats the reason for the liberation....

(would fit in the looks too stupid - explanation)


just to add - these extended familys are huge and mostly very criminal - mafia-like (no exaggeration)

3:12 p.m.: Nordine Amrani, the deceased author of the killing of Liege, is known by the police. In our archives, this article talks about his conviction three years earlier: "The Criminal Court sentenced Cork, Tuesday, Nordine Amrani, Liégeois a 29-year to 58 months in prison for possession of a dozen weapons and parts 9500 and 2800 for the cultivation of cannabis plants.The court has also fined 11,000 euros and gave the forfeitures in the amount of 76,500 euros. " "

From the Le Soir live feed.

reply to post by pazcat


Oo that sounds like a lame excuse...or they are cartell because a reaction in this way is extraordinary for a small arms-dealer&farmer

The attacker is understood to have acted alone; he had hand grenades and a kalachnikov. He shot into the crowd on the place Saint Lambert before being killed himself by a grenade. There was also another person killed. The attacker is known to the police, notably for drug offences.

www.guardian.co.uk...

But earlier from the same feed they posted a twitpic showing a second person alledgedly being arrested.
cdnmo.coveritlive.com...
The guy has cuffs on from what I can tell.

4 dead now.

I always wonder why attackers are soo inneffective in killing people and causing destruction.
Do they step out of bed walk outside and begin the attack. No wonder they get such a low deathtoll.

Breivic is an example.

I totally despise this actions by the way.

From the Telegraph:

14:54 Several sources are being quoted, including the mayor of Liege, Willy Demeyer, claiming the violence was down to an attempted escape from the nearby courthouse. Andre Meekes tweeted: Twitter Apparently it was an escape from the court in Liege, is this the world we live in......

Source

There was indeed a trial around banditism going on in the court at the time of the attack.

Could it be an attack carried out against the EU, since Belgium is regarded as the capital of the EU...?

reply to post by HallamFoe

I don't think so. An attack against the EU should be carried out in Brussels

Press conference taking place now, the suspect had been invited to an interview with the police(probably to arrest him) he then proceeded to go on his rampage.