Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
  Residents of the city center of Antwerp, in northern Belgium, woke up to the sound of a powerful explosion at dawn Sunday, causing material damage to 20 homes and five cars, and injuring one person, according to the Belgian News Agency. Police suspect a link to the drug environment but do not want to rule out other causes, according to Flemish public broadcaster VRT.
The explosion occurred around three o'clock in the morning. The damage was serious: the police suspect that the incident is related to the drug environment in Antwerp, but no other possibilities have been ruled out, police spokesman Wouter Bruens told VRT. "We assume that the explosion is related to the drug scene. It is the clearest explanation, although we do not want to rule out other causes." In addition to tracking evidence, witness statements and CCTV footage are examined.
Police did not provide further substantive details about the investigation. "Initially, the possibility of a gas explosion was considered, but we can rule that out after examination," said police spokesman Wouter Bruins.
The explosion came hours after the authorities announced that explosives had been found inside the house of a person in Antwerp who had arrested him in possession of drugs and wanted to search his house for other drugs, but explosives were found and the competent personnel were summoned to move the explosives to a safe place for disposal.
The Antwerp region has suffered a wave of violent drug-related attacks for some time now. In 2022, the Flemish port city counted 75 acts of violence. Since the outbreak of drug violence in Antwerp, 61 suspects have already been arrested, 48 of whom have Dutch citizenship.