A photo taken with a mobile phone on August 6, 2016, shows a police officer standing guard close to a police building in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi following a machete attack.(Photo: FRED DUBOIS, AFP/Getty Images)
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Saturday that "preliminary indications" suggest an attack by a machete-wielding man on two police officers in Charleroi was an act of terrorism.
The attacker was shot and killed by police after striking two female offices with the large knife<span style="color: Red;">*</span>while shouting<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"
Allahu Akhbar (God is great),"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>according to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>police spokesman David Quinaux, Belgian public broadcaster<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
RTBF reported.
One officer received deep cuts to the face, but both were out of danger,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Charleroi<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
police said on Twitter.
The assailant,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>who apparently acted<span style="color: Red;">*</span>alone, spoke to officers<span style="color: Red;">*</span>at a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>police security checkpoint then pulled his weapon out of a gym bag and struck the first officer in the face before turning to strike her colleague, Belgian newspaper
Le Soir reported. He was shot by a third officer.
The prime minister, who cut<span style="color: Red;">*</span>short his vacation in the south of France to return to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Belgium,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>told RTL television that the identity of the assailant wasn't clear but that "preliminary indications" suggest the attack<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was a terrorist act.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>He called a meeting of his<span style="color: Red;">*</span>National Security Council for Sunday.
Paul Magnette, mayor of Charleroi, which is located about 35 <span style="color: Red;">*</span>miles south of Brussels, said the police checkpoint prevented<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the attacker from reaching the main building and causing more havoc. The mayor said Belgian authorities are discussing whether security for police facilities and officers should be beefed up further, the Associated Press reported.
Belgium<span style="color: Red;">*</span>remains on high alert in the wake of attacks in March in Brussels that killed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>32 people at the Brussels airport and at a metro station.
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