A loud explosion, believed to be a hand grenade, rocked an Antwerp district early on Sunday in what police believe is a settling of scores between local drug gangs.
Residents of the Borgerhout district called the police after hearing a loud bang at around 3:45 AM.
Police and the DOVO mine clearance unit came to the small district's Guldensporenstraat and examined the scene.
No injuries were reported but a police representative said there had been significant material damage, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
"There is damage to some cars and façades," Willem Migom, a spokesperson with the local police, told the outlet.
Authorities believe a hand grenade to be the cause of the explosion, in an attack thought to target the family of a suspected drug dealer known to police.
Referred to as 27-year-old Mohamed El H., the suspect has been missing for three years after he was reportedly detained alongside another dealer with 300 kilograms of cocaine in their car.
The paper reports that rival gangs have been targetting the family home of the 27-year-old after the confiscation of the shipment, after which a surveillance camera was installed in the street.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
