PARIS — A French resident
tried to drive over pedestrians on a crowded shopping street in the Belgian port city of Antwerp on Thursday, and a rifle and several knives were found in the vehicle, prosecutors said.
With tensions already high in Europe after a similar attack involving a vehicle on Wednesday near
Parliament in London, Belgian prosecutors identified the suspect only as
Mohamed R., in keeping with traditional practice — a 39-year-old French resident of North African ancestry.
No injuries were reported, but a bomb disposal unit was sweeping the car for explosives and inspecting an unidentified canister of liquid that was also found in the car.
“We remain vigilant,” said
the Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, on Twitter. “Our security services did an outstanding job in Antwerp.”
