Shooting leaves at least two dead in the center of Brussels

Brussels — Two people were killed in a shooting Monday night in the center of Brusselsreported the Belgian police.

Media broadcast videos showing a man shooting several times near a station using a long gun, and Belgian stations reported that the two people who died were Swedes. The Swedish soccer team was scheduled to play Belgium at Heysel Stadium later that night, about three miles away.

Police spokeswoman Ilse Vande Keere said: The agents arrived quickly at the scene and cordoned off the surrounding neighborhood. The spokeswoman declined to provide further details about the circumstances of the shooting.

The shooting occurred at a time of increased surveillance linked to the current war between Israel and Hamas which has increased tension in several European nations. At the same time, the Belgian capital has been the scene of violent events linked to growing international drug trafficking.