Terrorist Attack In Brazil Ahead Of G20 Summit

• 14.11.2024, 13:44

A bomb exploded outside the Supreme Court.

A terrorist attack occurred in Brazil ahead of the G20 summit scheduled for November 18-19. An attacker attempted to enter the building of the Supreme Court of Brazil.

Failing to get inside, the man committed suicide by detonating a bomb outside the courthouse. This was reported by Reuters.

The explosions occurred near the Plaza de los Tres Porches, an iconic square in Brasilia that connects the main buildings of the three branches of the Brazilian federal government.

The attack raised security concerns ahead of a meeting of G20 leaders in the country. The explosions occurred five days before the summit of heads of state in Rio de Janeiro, which will be followed by a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Brazilian capital.

The first of two explosions occurred on the evening of November 13 in a parking lot outside the courthouse. A second explosion occurred moments later in front of the courthouse where the man's body was found.

The vice governor of the federal district, Celina Leao, said the man had committed suicide with explosives after attempting to enter the Supreme Court. She said the assailant had a car nearby, which exploded in the trunk. The official hoped it was a lone crime.

“It could have been a lone wolf, like others we have seen around the world. We are treating it as a suicide, since there was only one victim. But the investigation will show if that was the case,” the official added.

Law enforcement officers were identifying the victim, facing the risk of additional explosives on the body. Police sent a bomb squad with a bomb disposal robot to a square in the heart of the Brazilian capital to investigate the explosions. Law enforcement officers cordoned off the square, blocked off the entrances and conducted a thorough search of the area around the court.