Belgium’s defense chief has indicated that troops could join police patrols in Brussels as authorities confront migrant gang violence.

Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has said he could deploy soldiers to patrol Brussels before the end of the year, as the government faces mounting pressure to curb violent, migrant-fueled crime and restore order in the capital.

The city has recorded roughly 60 shootings so far this year – about one-third of them during the summer months – resulting in two fatalities, according to local media reports.

Last month, Security and Home Affairs Minister Bernard Quentin described the situation as ‘a catastrophe,’ warning that migrant criminal gangs had grown increasingly brazen.

He urged the deployment of joint teams of police officers and soldiers to patrol migrant criminal hotspots in Brussels in order to create a shock effect.

In an interview with Le Soir published on Saturday, Francken, a member of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, said he did not object to deploying troops, but insisted it must be legally justified and limited to essential security duties.

‘I’m always open to increasing security in Brussels,’ said Francken, who is known for his hardline stance on migration. ’The situation has become dire, both in terms of security and on a political and societal level.’ He added that unrest in the capital affects nearby regions.

‘Security falls to the police, not to the army. However, when the Interior Minister asks me, it becomes a task for Defense, which must protect the nation,’ he continued. ’Is it possible to put soldiers on the streets before the end of the year? I didn’t say yes, but I didn’t say no.’

Brussels’ public prosecutor Julien Moinil recently reported that the city had recorded 57 shootings by mid-August, including 20 during the summer months, urging a coordinated crackdown on gangs.

In his warning that ’anyone, every Brussels resident and every citizen, can be hit by a stray bullet,’ Moinil underscored the growing danger posed by violent crime in the capital.

A recent Euronews report described Brussels as the gun crime capital of Europe, noting that many of the incidents occurred in neighborhoods such as Anderlecht and Molenbeek, areas long associated with migrant gang activity and drug trafficking.

URBAN WARFARE – LEARN HOW. CLICK THE PICTURE

According to Statbel, Belgium’s national statistics office, 46% of Brussels residents are foreign-born (27% outside the EU), compared with 18% nationwide, a demographic shift that officials say has deepened the city’s social and security challenges.

Meanwhile: An assailant shot and injured several people in Giessen before fleeing the scene, local media have reported, citing the police.

Several people sustained injuries in a shooting incident in the market square of the German town of Giessen, local media have reported, citing officials. The suspect was allegedly detained several hours later.

According to the regional outlet Hessenschau, citing police sources, the assailant fired several shots inside a sports-betting shop located in the town center on Saturday afternoon. The perpetrator then reportedly fled the scene.

The authorities declined to specify how many people were wounded or how serious their injuries were, adding that the motive behind the attack remains unclear, several publications reported.

Bild claims three people were injured, while the weapon is reportedly believed to be a pistol or a revolver. According to Die Welt, two men sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. One is believed to be in serious condition. The publication quoted a police spokesperson as stating that the authorities currently do not see any danger to the public.’

The news outlet Mittelhessen.de reported that the market square has been partially cordoned off and that investigators are currently collecting evidence at the scene.

Later in the day, Hessenschau, citing the local police, reported that an individual had been apprehended in connection with the incident at around 8pm local time. You can and should share this story on social media: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

BE A SURVIVOR ~ THE SWEETHEARTS OF DEATH  Michael Walsh: Veterans of the Waffen SS, Foreign Legion, British Parachute Regiment, Congo Crisis and African conflicts include legends like Colonel Mike Hoare, Black Jack Schramme, Colonel Bob Denard, and Major Siegfried Müller. French Legionnaire Roger Faulques and ex-Hitler Youth Rolf Rolf Steiner. Updated and fully illustrated 28 stories of legends. https://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-walsh/the-sweethearts-of-death/paperback/product-95628g9.html?page=1&pageSize=4