The Henry Jackson Society today commented on the shootings and hostage taking today in Liege, Belgium.
Emma Webb, Research Fellow in the Centre for the Response to Radicalisation and Terrorism at The Henry Jackson Society, said:
“The Liege attack follows a pattern common to recent Islamist attacks in Europe. It may have been inspired by the hostage taking in Trebes in March, where the attacker demanded the release of Belgian-born terror suspect Salah Abdeslam.
“Belgium has been home to a significant Islamist extremist network, most notoriously that behind the attacks on Paris and Brussels in 2015 and 2016. The country faces a significant challenge. To avoid playing an endless game of whack-a-mole in disrupting these attacks, like other European countries Belgium must invest in measures to uproot extremism and prevent individuals from being drawn into terrorism in the first place.
“This is a painful reminder one year on from the London Bridge attack that the threat level in Europe remains high.”