Police detained the suspect, who is said to be of Turkish origin.
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Police secure the scene, at the police headquarters in Charleroi, Belgium on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.?
“Since there are indications that the attack may have been inspired by a terrorist motive, the federal prosecutor’s office made a decision to take over the investigation from the district prosecutor’s office of Charleroi”, the federal office said.
Belgian authorities have not yet released any information about the assailant, who shouted “Allahu Aakbar” during the stabbing. One policewoman was lightly wounded.
Michel spoke to reporters following an emergency meeting with top Belgian law enforcement officials.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel cut short his holiday to respond to the incident and said the “initial indications” pointed to it being a terror incident.
It said: “We confirm the death of the machete attacker. That’s the trap that has been set for us”.
An area of Liege was evacuated after a man was spotted armed with a machete at around 7am on Sunday.
Prosecutors searched two houses in Charleroi after the attack but did not provide details.
Charleroi was used as a base by some terrorists involved in the November 2015 Paris attacks – that killed 130 people -and suicide bombings at Brussels airport in March this year – which claimed 32 lives. Numerous perpetrators of the November 13 carnage in Paris that killed 130 people were also residents of Belgium.
“We know we must be constantly, constantly vigilant”, Mr Michel said.
“We are targets”, Charleroi police explained.
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A Charleroi police tweet confirmed the death of the attacker.
