Two Belgian police wounded by man shouting 'Allahu Akbar'

Belgian police officers stand guard outside the main police station after a machete-wielding man injured two female police officers before being shot in Charleroi, Belgium, August 6, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

BRUSSELS -- Two police officers were wounded by a machete-wielding man who shouted "Allahu Akbar"(God is great) outside a police station in the Belgian city of Charleroi Saturday afternoon, local police have confirmed.

The attacker was shot by a third police officer and was dead in a hospital. One of the two wounded female officers had serious injuries and was sent to a nearby hospital. She is now out of danger, police authorities from Charleroi, which is about 50 kilometers south of the Belgian capital Brussels, tweeted.

According to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, the attacker came to a checkpoint of the police station at 3:58 p.m.(1358 GMT) local time. He immediately pulled out a machete from his gym bag and struck the head of a police officer on duty. He then turned to the other police officer, who was injured slightly. The attacker was then shot by a third officer at the checkpoint.

The police did not disclose further information.

Soon after the attack, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel wrote on his twitter account: "I strongly condemn the attack in Charleroi. Thoughts are with the victims, their relatives and the police. We are monitoring the situation closely."

Belgium is still at security alert level three, the second highest level, since the March 22 bombings at a Brussels airport and a subway station which killed 32 people. Last week, Belgian police arrested and indicted a terrorist suspect who was alleged to have been plotting an attack in Belgium.