(MENAFN) Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has indicated that soldiers could be deployed to patrol Brussels before year’s end as authorities face increasing pressure to address violent crime and restore order in the capital.

Reports suggest the city has experienced around 60 shootings so far this year, with roughly one-third occurring during the summer months, resulting in two deaths.

Last month, Security and Home Affairs Minister Bernard Quentin described the situation as “a catastrophe,” noting that criminal gangs had become “increasingly brazen.” He called for joint patrols of police and soldiers in “criminal hotspots in Brussels” to produce a “shock effect.”

In an interview, Francken, a member of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, said he is open to deploying troops but emphasized that any action must be legally justified and focused on essential security tasks.

“I’m always open to increasing security in Brussels,” Francken stated. “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.”

He further explained, “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. 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 highlighted that by mid-August the city had already recorded 57 shootings, including 20 over the summer, and stressed the urgent need for a coordinated crackdown on gangs. “Anyone, every Brussels resident and every citizen, can be hit by a stray bullet,” Moinil warned, underlining the growing threat of violent crime.

A recent report described Brussels as the “gun crime capital of Europe,” pointing out that many incidents occurred in neighborhoods such as Anderlecht and Molenbeek, areas long linked to gang activity and drug trafficking.

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