Two people were shot dead, and two others were severely wounded early Thursday in a known drug trafficking area near the Gare de Midi train station in Brussels, police reported. The shooting occurred between 1 am and 2 am near a café in the Saint Gilles district of the Belgian capital, with the suspect or suspects fleeing the scene.

In total, three people were wounded, with two in critical condition and one stable, according to the local police department. This year, Brussels region authorities identified Saint Gilles as one of 15 drug hotspots among the capital's 19 districts.

Police have yet to establish a connection between the shooting and the city’s illegal drug trade. Judicial officials are expected to release a statement later on Thursday.

Belgium has experienced an increase in armed violence in recent years, linked to rivalries between drug trafficking gangs. Shootouts have occurred in the streets of Brussels and Antwerp, with the latter's port becoming a primary entry point for cocaine illegally imported from Latin America.

In a related incident in 2016, federal police reported an attack against a soldier in Brussels, where soldiers at the scene responded, resulting in the attacker's death.