Suspect on the run after killing at least two in Brussels shooting

 At least two people were killed in a shooting late Monday in central Brussels, Belgian police said, adding that the suspect remained at large. The shooting prompted Belgium to raise its alert level to maximum readiness.

Police spokeswoman Ilse Vande Keere said officers arrived at the scene and sealed off the immediate neighbourhood. She declined to elaborate on the details or motive for the shooting.

Media reports aired amateur videos showing a man shooting several times near a station using a large weapon.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed media reports that the victims were Swedish nationals. The Swedish national soccer team was scheduled to play Belgium at Heysel Stadium later in the evening, some 5 kilometres from where the incident took place.

"I have just offered my sincere condolences to the Swedish PM following tonight's harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels," De Croo posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners the fight against terrorism is a joint one."

Soon after the shooting, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen slammed what she called the "despicable" attack. French Interior Minister Gérard Darmanin announced that France would reinforce its border with Belgium as a precaution.

It was not immediately clear if the shooting was linked to the international uproar over the Israel-Hamas war, a controversy over the burning of a Koran in Sweden last June or another motive entirely. The incident comes at a time of increased vigilance linked to the situation in Israel and Gaza that has heightened tensions in several nations, including across Europe.