A car was deliberately set on fire overnight in the Jewish district of Antwerp. The arson attack was claimed by “Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya”.
With the burning of Jewish ambulances in London and this claimed attack in Antwerp, six attacks have now been attributed in just two weeks to the same group.
At the corner of Appelmansstraat and Vestingstraat, in the heart of the Jewish district near Central Station, a parked car was set alight. Video footage allegedly shows several perpetrators igniting the vehicle on Appelmansstraat, in the Kiviet neighbourhood. Shortly after 2 a.m., the images appeared on a Telegram channel featuring Iranian propaganda.
The Shmira security service reported that the fire had been discovered shortly before midnight by a volunteer patrol and extinguished. The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office confirmed the incident and stated that two minor suspects have been arrested.
“Images were circulating, which is why we are certain this was a case of deliberate arson,” said Kristof Aerts of the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office. “The police were quickly informed and were able to arrest two minor suspects.”
The suspects are to be questioned later today. “At this stage, the investigation into the precise circumstances and context is ongoing. All lines of inquiry remain open,” Aerts added.
