House searches in Italy in case surrounding attack on Sweden in Brussels

Terror

Italian anti-terrorist police on Tuesday carried out searches of eighteen people linked to Abdesalem Lassoued, the Tunisian who shot dead two Swedes in Brussels on October 16, 2023. These are people with whom Lassoued is said to have had contact when he stayed in Italy between 2012 and 2016.

The eighteen people are of North African origin and reside in Bologna, Palermo and Turin, the Italian anti-terrorist police said in a press release.

The eighteen are said to have been part of Lassoued’s “circle of virtual relationships” and were also said to have posted messages on social media “from religious extremist circles”.

The searches are part of the investigation launched by the Belgian police and Europol after the attack on October 16. Abdesalem Lassoued shot two Swedes dead. A third man was injured. Lassoued himself was shot dead by the police the next day.

In a claim video, Lassoued stated that he had specifically targeted Sweden because several Qurans had been burned in that country in the weeks before. The day after the attack, Islamic State claimed responsibility.