Belgium’s game against Sweden is abandoned with fans locked in the ground and players refusing to play on after two supporters are shot dead before the match

Belgium’s European qualifier against Sweden was abandoned on Monday evening after two supporters were shot dead in a terrorist attack.

Two fans wearing Swedish football shirts were shot dead in Brussels before the match and because the perpetrator had not yet been apprehended, fans were locked in the ground for their own safety as authorities called off the match at half-time.

The murders took place five kilometers away from the stadium, where more than 35,000 fans were present to watch the Euro 2024 qualifier.

The Belgian Football Association said in a statement: ‘Due to the incidents in Brussels earlier this evening, the game has been suspended. Our thoughts are with all those affected.’

The official Swedish account on Participate in information from officials, authorities and personnel on the ground.

‘We will come back if the Belgian authorities provide us with new information. Stay calm and take care of each other. Our thoughts go out to all the relatives of those affected in Brussels.’

The shooting took place on Boulevard d’Ypres, just a few minutes north of the city’s famous Grand Plaza

Police at the scene of a shooting incident on Ieperlaan in Brussels

Fans hugged each other during the terrifying moments as Belgian authorities locked them in the stadium for their own safety

A third fan is seriously injured as the alleged attacker claimed to be a member of ISIS and wanted to take revenge for the murder of a six-year-old American-Palestinian boy.

A map shows the location of the murder in Brussels city center and that of the King Baudouin Stadium in the city’s northwestern suburbs

Brussels came to a standstill after a gunman claiming to be a member of ISIS opened fire on a group of fans. A third is said to be seriously injured.

The gunman is said to have started shooting at the men as they passed along Boulevard d’Ypres, just a few minutes north of the city’s famous Grand Plaza.

The alleged attacker used the name “Slayem Slouma” to brag about the two killings on Facebook, adding that he wanted to avenge the killing of a six-year-old American-Palestinian boy.

The city’s terror alert has been raised to level 4: the highest level.

As the terrified spectators waited in the stadium to hear news from outside, the Belgian fans started singing ‘All together, all together’ to express their solidarity with the Swedish supporters.

Uncertainty has engulfed the city, including those on the ground, with Belgium and Sweden both asking fans to stay indoors

As fearful fans were locked up in the King Baudouin Stadium (left), Belgian authorities raised the terror alert to the highest level in search of the perpetrator, who has not yet been found

Swedish supporters anxiously check their mobile phones in the aftermath of the terror attack

On the other side of the field, the Belgian fans look worriedly at the empty field

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed the victims were Swedish as he paid tribute to the lives lost.

“My deepest condolences to the relatives of this cowardly attack in Brussels,” he wrote on social media. “I have just offered my sincere condolences to the Swedish Prime Minister following tonight’s distressing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels.

“Our thoughts are with the families and friends who have lost their loved ones. As close partners, the fight against terrorism is a joint struggle.’

Players, fans and match officials observed a minute’s silence at the King Baudouin Stadium on Monday before the match

The match was abandoned at half-time after two Swedes were killed in a shooting in the center of Brussels before kick-off

A forensic investigator examines the scene as Belgian police cordon off the area following a shooting in Brussels

Uproar among Swedish fans during the European Championship qualifier between Belgium and Sweden

Belgian police officers walk as they secure the area on Boulevard d’Ypres, near the canal

Police have cordoned off an area in the center of Brussels where a shooting took place

Investigators are searching the site left by a suspect on the run, the Belgian capital’s public prosecutor’s office said

This photo shows the police cordon that was present at the scene of the shooting on Ieperlaan

In Arabic, he celebrated the massacre and said he committed it in the name of ISIS.

Police confirmed that the man in the video – wearing an orange jacket, black scarf, yellow baseball cap and heavy black beard – was the one they were looking for in connection with the attack.

The match was tied at 1-1 when the match was ended at half-time after Victor Gyokres had given the visitors the lead. Romelu Lukaku scored from the penalty spot to equalize.

Players involved in the match included Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans, Roma’s Lukaku and Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof.