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Policemen are seen on the site of a shooting in Liege, Belgium, on May 29, 2018. A gunman shot dead two police officers and a passenger in a car Tuesday in Liege, a city some 100 km east of the Belgian capital Brussels, authorities said. (Xinhua)

BRUSSELS, May 29 (Xinhua) -- A gunman shot dead two police officers and a passenger in a car Tuesday in Liege, a city some 100 km east of the Belgian capital Brussels, authorities said.

The Federal Prosecution has decided to "federalize" the case, because there is strong suspicion that the case is a terrorist act.

Around 10:30 a.m. (GMT 0830), loud gunshots were heard in the center of Liege. During a routine check near the Cafe des Augustins, an individual managed to disarm a police officer and open fire, killing two police officers and a passenger in a car.

Two other police officers were also injured in the shooting.

He then fled from the scene and held a housekeeper hostage at nearby Waha High School. Security forces were called to the scene and killed the attacker around 11 a.m.

According to some reports, the gunman was released from a Belgian prison on Monday.

Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon tweeted that the federal crisis center is closely monitoring the situation for further clues.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel in a tweet condemned the shooting as "cowardly and blind violence in Liege."

"All our support for the victims and their loved ones. We follow the situation with the security services and the crisis center," he tweeted.