Police officer killed while intercepting stolen vehicle in Brussels

A 41-year-old police officer was killed in the Jette municipality of Brussels in Belgium after having been shot on late Monday, officials said.

Public broadcaster VRT said officer was shot as he was intercepting a stolen vehicle and later died in hospital.

The carjacking took place on Monday night, after which an Anti-Robbery Squad was dispatched.

After the police arrived at the scene, the suspects are said to have got out of the car and immediately open fire.

Brussels police said they learned "deep sadness and great sadness" the death of their colleague from the Anti-Robbery Squad, "who died in the line of duty."

Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said he was "deeply shaken" by the officer's death. "The prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation to shed full light on the exact circumstances of this tragedy. The guilty will face the full rigor of the law," he added.