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Knife attack at Kurdish protest in Belgium/ 6 people injured, two in critical condition

2026-01-23 08:54:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Knife attack at Kurdish protest in Belgium/ 6 people injured, two in critical

Six people were injured in a knife attack at a demonstration in Belgium on Thursday evening. Police spokesman Wouter Bruyns said two of the injured were in critical condition in hospital after the attack in the port city of Antwerp near Operaplein (Opera Square).

Bruyns said police arrested two suspects who, based on initial findings, had mixed with the demonstrators. Four of the stabbed people were found on the square, while two others were found nearby, near Rooseveltplaats and Sint-Elisabethstraat.

Police said the incident was being investigated as a case of attempted murder, "not terrorism," and that officers were reviewing security camera footage to ensure no other suspects had escaped arrest.

The demonstration outside the Opera House, attended by about 50 people, was initially peaceful. Kurdistan Workers' Party and national flags were waved during the protest in support of the Kurds in northern Syria, where Kurdish-led forces have been fighting against government advances.

However, shortly after the demonstration ended at around 7:20 p.m. local time, the situation escalated. Orhan Kilic, a spokesman for Navbel, a group representing the Kurdish diaspora in Belgium, said the protest was attended by families, women, young people and children.

"Just as the protest was dispersing, Kurdish demonstrators were attacked by a group of men. These men had secretly entered the demonstration and suddenly pulled out knives and started hitting people indiscriminately. It is clear that this attack is not an isolated case of senseless violence, but a motivated attack on a community," Kilic said.  /CNA





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