Charleroi Machete Attack (2016)
The Charleroi Machete Attack occurred on August 6, 2016, when Khaled Babouri, an Algerian national living illegally in Belgium, attacked two police officers outside a police station in Charleroi, a city south of Brussels. During the assault, Babouri reportedly shouted "Allahu akbar," injuring both officers before being shot by a third officer and later succumbing to his wounds in the hospital. The next day, the terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, labeling Babouri as one of their "soldiers."
This incident prompted discussions about security in Charleroi, particularly since the city had previously been associated with terrorists involved in other attacks in Belgium and Europe. The Belgian government had attempted to deport Babouri before, but logistical challenges with Algeria complicated the process. In the aftermath of the attack, authorities continued to face challenges with rising terrorism concerns, highlighted by other incidents in Belgium around that time. The attack underscored ongoing issues regarding illegal immigration and national security in the context of global terrorism.
Subject Terms
Charleroi Machete Attack (2016)
Date: August 6, 2016
Place: Charleroi, Belgium
Summary
The Charleroi machete attack was a terrorist attack carried out by Algerian national Khaled Babouri on police outside a police station in Charleroi, Belgium, a city south of Brussels. The attacker injured two police officers before being killed by a third officer.
Key Events
- August 6, 2016—Illegal Algerian immigrant Khaled Babouri attacks two police officers outside the Charleroi police station.
- August 7, 2016—Syrian terrorist group ISIS claims responsibility for the attack.
Status
As of late 2016, the Belgian government was still considering a plan to further increase security in Charleroi, as the city had been used as a base by some of the terrorists involved in the November 2015 attacks in Paris and the 2016 attacks in Brussels. It was also revealed that the Belgian government had tried to deport Babouri, but was prevented by a lack of return agreement with Algeria allowing the deportation of illegal immigrants back to that country. News reports noted Babouri had been moving about freely because Belgium lacks sufficient prison space to detain individuals who are targeted for deportation but not connected with serious crimes.
Belgium has continued to see a rise in terrorist incidents, with a Belgian teenager, the son of a radical imam, being arrested on August 21 after posting an online video in which he threatened to murder Christians. Another knife attack occurred on October 5 when a forty-three-year-old man, Hicham Diop, attacked officers in Brussels with a knife before being shot and captured by police.
In-Depth Overview
Belgium has been targeted by terrorists since entering the military effort against the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Belgium was one of the allied nations targeted in retaliation by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in late November 2015. In January 2015, Belgian anti-terrorism units successfully arrested members of terrorist cells in both Brussels and the city of Zaventem before the cells could conduct a terrorist attack. Security forces had been on high alert since it was discovered that the individuals who conducted the 2015 attacks on Paris had been in Molenbeek and Brussels before conducting their attacks in Paris. In March 2016, militants connected to ISIS and the cell that conducted the November attacks in Paris conducted a series of coordinated bombings at the Brussels airport and the Maalbeek metro station, killing thirty-two civilians, marking the deadliest terrorist attack to occur in Belgium.
On August 6, at around 4:00 p.m., a thirty-three-year-old Algerian man, later identified as Khaled Babouri, used a machete to attack two female police officers standing guard outside the Charleroi police station. Allegedly, the attacker shouted "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great," as he attacked the two police officers. Moments after the attack began, a third officer shot the perpetrator, who was taken to a hospital, where he died of his wounds.
The subsequent police investigation revealed that Babouri was from Algeria and had been living illegally in Belgium since 2012. Babouri was known to police for having committed several minor crimes, but had not been known to have any connections with terrorism or terrorist groups. The day after the attack, Belgian prime minister Charles Michel told press that security forces were investigating potential links with terrorism. Though Belgian authorities felt it was clear that the attack was not part of an organized terrorist cell plot, ISIS had been known to encourage "lone-wolf" attacks by sympathizers living in enemy nations.
Police did not reveal the identities of the two police officers injured in the machete attack, but did reveal that one of the officers had been seriously injured, receiving deep cuts to the face, while the other officer received lesser wounds. Both were released from the hospital by August 24, though one was said to require further corrective surgery to her face. The day after the attack, Charleroi police posted a message on the department’s Twitter account asking reporters and members of the public not to divulge the identities of the officers involved in the attack.
The attack occurred at the door to a wooden structure serving as a security checkpoint outside of police headquarters. While two officers were wounded in the machete attack, Charleroi mayor Paul Magnette stated that the checkpoint structure had been effective, keeping the assailant from entering the building. On August 7, ISIS issued a statement through its news agency Amaq, claiming responsibility for the attack and calling the attacker one of the organization’s "soldiers." Though Belgian press reported that police carried out searches of two homes on the night of the attack, no further details were revealed indicating that others had been arrested or detained in connection with the incident.
Key Figures
Khaled Babouri: Algerian man who attacked police at the Charleroi police station.
Jan Jambon: Belgian interior minister who spoke to police about the incident.
Paul Magnette: Mayor of Charleroi.
Charles Michel: Prime minister of Belgium.
Bibliography
Belgian police attacker shot and killed in Charleroi. (2016, August 6). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36998449
Dearden, L., & Forster, K. (2016, August 6). Belgium police attack: Man shouting "Allahu Akbar" attacks two officers in Charleroi with machete. Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/belgium-police-attack-news-latest-man-shouting-allahu-akbar-attacks-two-officers-in-charleroi-with-a7176361.html
Johnston, C., Townsend, M., & Rankin, J. (2016, August 6). Assailant dies after machete attack on Belgian police officers. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/06/belgium-charleroi-two-police-officers-machete
Norman, L. (2016, August 6). Two policewomen wounded in machete attack in Belgian city of Charleroi. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/two-police-injured-in-machete-attack-in-belgiums-charleroi-1470498217
Norman, L. (2016, August 7). Belgium launches terror probe as ISIS claims machete attack. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/belgium-launches-terror-investigation-into-charleroi-machete-attack-1470570832
Rankin, J. (2016, October 5). Brussels stabbing: two police officers targeted in suspected terror attack. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/05/belgian-police-officers-stabbed-suspected-terror-attack-brussels-schaerbeek-neighbourhood