A parked car was set on fire last night in the Jewish quarter of Antwerp. A Ford Fiesta was parked at the corner of Appelmansstraat and Vestingstraat, near Central Station. Two underage suspects have since been arrested. According to De Morgen, images of the fire were quickly shared overnight on a Telegram channel belonging to a new terrorist group that had also claimed responsibility for the arson attack on a synagogue in Liège.
The Ford Fiesta was burned out completely. A second car was also reportedly targeted in an attempted arson attack. According to the available information, two minor suspects were arrested in connection with the incident. The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation: “All possibilities remain open.”
The car fires are considered especially suspicious because Jewish owners may have been targeted. Since the unrest in the Middle East, security in the Jewish quarter and around Central Station has been stepped up. The area is covered by a police camera network, and since Monday soldiers have also been patrolling the neighborhood.
Police confirmed that there was a car fire in the Jewish quarter. Whether the suspects intended to target Jewish people will have to be determined by the ongoing investigation.
The Jewish community reacted with relief that members of its own security service were able to extinguish the fire and that police arrived so quickly to arrest suspects.
