The main suspect in an alleged terrorist attack that left one police officer dead and another injured last week in Brussels is said to have been in possession of hundreds of Islamic books.
Yassine Mahi, the man arrested for the killing of 29-year-old police officer Thomas M. in the Brussels area of Schaerbeek last Thursday, is said to have possessed hundreds of Islamic books in his home in the Evere area of the Belgian capital.
It is unclear whether or not the books contain extremist material as police have employed an expert to review the books and other documents but add to reports that the alleged Islamic extremist had yelled “Allahu Akbar” during the attack on the two officers, broadcaster RTL reports.
Prior to last week’s attack, Mahi is said to have gone to a local police station and stated that he wanted to carry out an attack but was sent to a physiatric hospital and was then released after leaving of his own accord.
“He tells me that he has a hatred against the police and that following this hatred he has several times wanted to make attacks against the police,” a civilian worker at the police station told RTL.
On the evening of last Thursday, the two police officers involved in the alleged terror incident were attacked with a knife in the Schaerbeek as they were in a patrol car, with the officer driving the vehicle being stabbed in the neck.
The officer riding as a passenger in the vehicle managed to call for reinforcements, who arrived on the scene and shot the alleged terrorist attacker in the leg and abdomen.
According to RTL, Mahi was on a Coordination Body for Threat Analysis (OCAM) terrorist watchlist and is believed to have been radicalised while serving a prison sentence for violent rape which ended in 2019 but had not been on the radar of authorities since his release.
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