Masked gunmen kill guard in Dutch town shootout

Overasselt lies near the German border. It is a quiet place in eastern Netherlands. That changed early Tuesday morning. Police rushed to a home after reports of suspicious activity arrived. Instead of finding trouble, they found gunfire. Masked men opened fire at 02:00 GMT. Shots rang out as officers stepped onto the scene. A security guard died from the violence. Two police officers suffered injuries that are not life-threatening. Regional police head Jolanda Aalbers called it a traumatic event. She praised the teams who rescued their wounded colleagues immediately.

The situation escalated into a deadly shootout. Dutch prosecutors confirmed they have arrested 34 suspects total. The group includes foreign nationals from several nations. Belgium, France, and Algeria all provided suspects for this operation. Local media now link the tragedy to Jos Leijdekkers. Everyone knows him as Bolle Jos or Fat Jos. He is one of the Netherlands most wanted criminals currently. Authorities previously convicted him for international cocaine trafficking roles. This case involves a long-running conflict between criminal groups. The same house saw a dozen shots fired last year alone. Two people faced conviction for that earlier incident.

Seized items include weapons and data storage devices. Police also took several vehicles from the scene. Minister David van Weel spoke out about the response. He stated police acted swiftly to handle this life-threatening situation. He noted the unprecedented number of people involved in the chaos. Van Weel posted on X regarding the 34 arrests made so far. The investigation continues as officials gather more evidence. They condemn this horrific act of violence without hesitation. Community safety remains a top priority for local leaders now.