A machete-wielding man who attacked and wounded two policewomen in Belgium was an Algerian national who had "a criminal record but was not known for terrorism," prosecutors said.
The 33-year-old attacker, identified by the initials K.B., had been living in Belgium since 2012, the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.
So-called Islamic State claimed it was behind the attack that left two female police officers seriously injured, the group's Amaq news agency said on Twitter.
The attacker, who shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) during the assault yesterday, was shot by police and died of his injuries.
He was carrying a rucksack but no explosives or other weapons were found.
"There are indications that the attack may have been inspired by a terrorist motive," the prosecutors said in a statement.
"He is known to police for criminal acts, not for terrorism."
Prosecutors searched two houses in Charleroi after the attack but did not provide details.
The attack in Charleroi, around 60km south of Brussels, left one of the officers with "deep wounds to the face" while the other was slightly injured.
Islamist bombers killed 32 people in suicide attacks in Brussels in March, and many of the jihadists who carried out attacks on Paris last November in which 130 people died were based in Belgium.
Those attacks were claimed by Islamic State, which controls large areas of territory in Iraq and Syria and has claimed numerous terror attacks in Europe in the last year.
Belgian police have carried out dozens of anti-terror raids since the attacks in Paris.
Last month they arrested and charged a 33-year-old man, identified as Nourredine H, with attempting to commit "terrorist murder" and "taking part in the activities of a terrorist organisation".
Prosecutors said there was, for now, no link to the Brussels suicide bombings.
Belgium is the main source per head of population of jihadist recruits going from European Union countries to fight with IS in Syria, causing deep concern that they will return home battle-hardened and even more radicalised.
The interior ministry said 457 Belgian men and women had gone or tried to join jihadists in the Middle East, including 90 who are missing or dead.
Belgium launched its first attacks against IS in Iraq in late 2014 as part of a US-led coalition. It joined a similar anti-IS operation in Syria this year.
In June, Belgian authorities charged two men with terrorist offences amid reports of a planned attack on a Euro 2016 fanzone in central Brussels.
Belgium then beefed up security for its 21 July national day celebrations after a truck attack that killed 85 people in the French city of Nice on Bastille Day on 14 July.
