Two grenades exploded in the entry hall of a brand-new apartment building in Knokke-Heist, Flanders on the evening of 12 July, causing extensive material damage but no injuries, according to Flemish newspaper De Standaard.
Local residents were awoken to the sound of two loud explosions at around 2:30, with eye-witnesses seeing two suspects flee from the building. The glass door to the entry to the building was destroyed, an elevator severely damaged, and the two large craters can be seen on the floor.
According to De Standaard, Bruges public prosecutors are investigating the incident. The scene was attended by bomb squads, crime scene investigators, and other forensic experts. “All possibilities are being considered,” the Bruges prosecutor said.
It is still uncertain whether the attack was targeted. At the time of the attack, the building was largely empty. Knokke-Heist is a coastal tourism hotspot, so many of the apartments in the building are used as holiday homes, and are not occupied throughout the year.
Locals told De Standaard that they believe the criminals may have targeted an adjacent jewellery store next door, which shares a wall with the apartment building entrance. The manager of the jewellery store is said to be on vacation, arousing suspicion that criminals may have attempted to seize their opportunity. This theory is still unconfirmed.
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Two suspects ran from the blast, one wearing a hood over their head. So far, no arrests have been made in relation to the investigation. Police are now accessing local CCTV cameras to locate the suspects.
Illustration picture shows the scene in the Kursaalstraat street in Knokke-Heist where a grenade exploded in the early hours of Wednesday 13 July 2022. BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER
“It is a very strange case,” said Piet De Groote, mayor of Knokke-Heist. “I was informed of the incident on Wednesday morning. Was it a mischievous prank? Or were the grenades thrown with malicious intent?” the Mayor wondered.
Just three days before, in a separate incident in the nearby sea-side city of Ostend, a grand was reported to have been found in the sand by holidaymakers. It was later revealed that the discovery was Second World War ammunition, which was taken away for destruction.
