Brussels terror: 34 Killed in Explosions at Airport, Subway Station
Written by wdkxwp on March 22, 2016
Three explosions that ripped through the Belgian capital of Brussels on Tuesday killed at least 34 people and wounded about 170 more, according to Belgian media, and raised the reality of terror once again in the heart of Europe.
“We were fearing terrorist attacks, and that has now happened,” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters.
Belgian federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said late Tuesday morning that it was too soon to know exactly how many people died in the bombings. Yet Belgian state broadcaster RTBF, citing emergency services, reported 20 dead at the Maalbeek metro station and 14 more killed at Brussels’ international airport.
After the blasts, Belgian authorities again hit the streets looking for those tied to Tuesday’s carnage and who might launch more attacks.
Citing judicial sources, RTBF reported that raids were underway midday Tuesday around Brussels, targeting people linked to the attacks. And at the international airport, a controlled explosion could be heard after troops zeroed in on a suspicious package, according to the Belgian crisis center.
While there’s been no official claim of responsibility, many prominent ISIS supporters celebrated Tuesday’s deadly terror attacks in Brussels on social media.
One widely circulated Twitter post among these ISIS backers featured the words, “What will be coming is worse.”
Belgium is no stranger to terror. Just a few days ago, authorities there captured Europe’s most wanted man, Salah Abdeslam — the latest of many suspected terrorists caught in the small European country. And a U.S. counterterrorism official said, “The Belgians have been sitting on a ticking time bomb,” given all those who have gone to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS, then possibly come back home.
Still, these facts don’t take away the shock and horror of those who lived through Tuesday’s carnage.
“You cannot believe it; you cannot believe it,” said Jef Versele, who was in the airport’s departure hall when bombs exploded there. “It was so insane. Not in my backyard.”
Source and to read more on the story head to CNN.com
