Six injured after knife attack at Kurdish demonstration in Antwerp

"Six people have been injured after a knife attack at a demonstration in Belgium on Thursday evening, police said. Two of the victims were in a critical condition in hospital following the incident in the port city of Antwerp near the Operaplein (Opera Square), police spokesperson Wouter Bruyns said. Bruyns said police were able to apprehend the two suspects who, based on initial findings, had mingled with the demonstrators."

"Orhan Kilic, a spokesperson for Navbel, a group representing the Kurdish diaspora in Belgium, said families, women, young people and children attended the protest. He said: Just as the protest was disbanding, the Kurdish demonstrators were attacked by a group of men. These men had sneaked into the demonstration and suddenly pulled out knives and began stabbing people indiscriminately. It is clear that this attack is not an isolated instance of senseless violence, but a motivated attack on a community."

"Police said the incident was being investigated as a case of attempted murder, not terrorism, and that officers were looking at CCTV footage to ensure no other suspects had evaded arrest. The demonstration outside the Opera House, attended by about 50 people, was initially peaceful, according to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Flags of the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) and national flags were waved during the protest in support of Kurds in northern Syria, where Kurdish-led forces have been fighting a government advance."

Six people were injured in a knife attack at a demonstration in Antwerp, Belgium, on Thursday evening, with two victims in critical condition in hospital. Police apprehended two suspects who reportedly mingled with demonstrators. Four stabbed victims were found in Opera Square, with two others nearby in Rooseveltplaats and Sint-Elisabethstraat. Officers are treating the case as attempted murder, not terrorism, and are reviewing CCTV to check for other suspects. The protest of about 50 people was initially peaceful, with PKK and national flags displayed in support of Kurds in northern Syria. Forensic teams worked at the scene and police advised people to avoid the area.

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