Brussels is experiencing a sharp rise in violence, with multiple explosions and shootings reported over just five days in the Saint-Gilles municipality. The latest incident occurred on Wednesday evening on Rue du Céleri, near Place de Bethléem—a known hotspot for drug activity. Authorities confirmed that the street was cordoned off and that only material damage occurred. The Belgian army’s bomb disposal unit (DOVO) and police attended the scene, and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the explosion.
This followed a Tuesday night blast in nearby Rue de Bosnie, believed to have been caused by fireworks. While it remains unclear whether the two incidents are connected, Saint-Gilles has also been the scene of two shootings this week. The first shooting took place last Saturday at around 3 a.m. on Rue du Métal, near the Parvis de Saint-Gilles. The second occurred on Monday at approximately 5 a.m. on Rue de Prague, only a few hundred meters from the first. In both cases, windows were hit, putting nearby residents—including children—at risk. Local authorities suspect the attacks were targeted. Mayor Jean Spinette explained that the area is home to two young individuals known to police and that authorities have previously restricted their access to certain streets to curb drug-related activity.
The surge in violence comes amid broader concerns about public safety in Brussels. According to police figures, the capital has seen 96 shootings in 2025—already surpassing last year’s total of 92. These incidents have resulted in eight deaths, and 48 injuries, compared to 43 last year. Only three years ago, in 2022, Brussels recorded 56 shootings, highlighting the rapid escalation of violence.
Authorities have attributed much of the violence to the drug trade, which has expanded significantly in Belgium. Customs officials reported that drug seizures at Brussels Airport more than doubled in 2025, mainly due to cannabis imports from Thailand, the United States, and Canada. In total, nearly nine tonnes of narcotics, including eight tonnes of cannabis, were intercepted. Criminal networks exploiting Belgium’s ports and transport hubs have strengthened their grip on the country’s illicit drug market, a problem that has also affected Antwerp. Drug cartels defend their territory, and showdowns between them have spilled out onto the streets.
Across the country, grenade attacks and shootings have become a regular occurrence, prompting one investigating judge to warn that Belgium is “becoming a narco-state.”
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin announced in November that soldiers would be deployed on Brussels’ streets before the end of the year. The deployment is intended to supplement police patrols, particularly at major railway stations, and deter criminal activity. “This is not merely symbolic,” Quintin said, stressing that visible patrols would provide a concrete response to security concerns.
Authorities are also on alert for potential terror threats, with the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) reportedly calling on Muslim refugees to carry out large-scale attacks in Flanders. MP Ortwin Depoortere (Vlaams Belang) stressed that “the terror threat has returned, it never went away,” noting that 80 terror files have already been opened in Belgium this year.
