On September 14, shortly after midnight, a detonation was heard in the relatively quiet area of Général Fivé in Etterbeek. The shutter of a shopfront was completely torn off, causing damage to the car parked in front of it.
According to a longtime resident
I served in the army, so I know the sound of explosives. It wasn’t just a firecracker. It was a real explosion. It wasn’t until the next day, when I woke up, that I heard it was that little grocery store.
Other locals pointed to rivalries among small shopkeepers. “I think it was a revenge [attack] between grocers,” said a neighbour.
This is the fourth recent explosion in Etterbeek. Earlier this year, on July 6, a strikingly similar incident occurred on Rue Vindictive, where a homemade explosive device was thrown onto the street, causing a fire and damaging a car.
Vincent De Wolf, mayor of Etterbeek, stressed that security is strong in the city.
The police network is tight, patrols are frequent, and the municipality is closely monitored.
While the mayor appears confident that this was not a targeted attack on Etterbeek, many feel that the crime and safety situation is deteriorating throughout Brussels and its suburbs.
