Two explosions took place during the night of Saturday to Sunday at different locations in Antwerp.
The first happened at around 03.00 in the district of Deurne, when a loud noise was heard. A police forensic team attended, together with the army bomb disposal unit Dovo.
“This was certainly not a grenade. What it was, though, is still being investigated,” said Sven Lommaert of the Antwerp police.
The explosion took place in front of a house adjoining the premises of a construction company, damaging the front door.
“While the teams were at work in Deurne, an explosion was reported in Godtsstraat in Borgerhout, so they immediately went there,” Lommaert said.
What they found was indeed evidence of a grenade placed under a parked car. The location is close to the scene of a shooting on Friday night, when at least one shot was fired at the facade of a house in the Beukenstraat.
Police at present decline to speculate openly about the background to the various incidents, including a connection between the three, and whether they may be linked to previous shootings and explosions in Antwerp, where evidence suggests a link to rival drugs gangs.
“A loud noise was heard last night, but our services were not notified until this afternoon,” Lommaert commented yesterday.
“It is unclear what triggered the incident, and whether there is a link with previous incidents. That is also part of our investigation.”
Previous incidents in Antwerp include an explosion by a pancake restaurant in the Zuid area, and two more in Deurne – all in June this year, and all involving grenades.
No-one has so far been injured in any of the incidents.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
