Man shot dead after stabbing troops in Brussels

Brussels, Aug 26 (IANS) A man was shot dead after attacking two soldiers with a machete in the centre of Brussels, police said.

The attack began at about 8.20 p.m., on Friday night, in the centre of the Belgian capital, not far from the bars and restaurants of the popular Sainte Catherine neighbourhood that is always busy in the evenings, reports the Guardian.

The attacker, according to state TV channel RTBF, cried "Allahu Akbar" at the moment he launched the attack.

A spokesman for the federal prosecutor said it was a terrorist act although the man had been identified as a "30-year-old man who is not known for terrorist activities".

After the attack was stopped, he was taken to hospital, where he died.

Authorities are treating this as an isolated incident and have not changed Belgium's terror threat level, which is currently at level three, the second highest level, which indicates a "serious and real" threat, but not an imminent attack.

In June, authorities foiled a suspected terror attack on the Brussels central station, where a man was shot, after causing a small explosion, reports the Guardian.

In March 2016, 32 people were killed and more than 300 injured in coordinated attacks at Brussels airport and the city's metro.

Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michel, expressed his support for the country's soldiers on Friday night.

"Our security services remain vigilant. We are following the situation closely with the Belgian crisis centre," he said.