Twin Terrorist Attacks Put Belgium in Mourning

On March 22, two bombings that were an hour apart hit Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Not only is Belgium a European capital but also the hub of the European Union and NATO headquarters. The first attack occurred at the Zaventem airport, killing 11 people. Authorities suspected that suicide bombers were behind it. 

Shortly after the attacks, police identified three suspects who were caught on a CCTV camera at the Zaventem airport. Belgian police have identified the first suspect as Najim Laachraoui, whom they believe was a key player in the Paris attacks. His DNA was found in two houses used by the Paris bombers in November. Laachraoui and another suspect got killed by the bombing. The third one is unidentified and still on the loose. An hour after the attack, another suspected suicide bomber blew himself up in a metro train center in Brussels, killing 11 people.

ISIS claimed credit for the Brussels attacks and a connection between the Paris attacks and the Brussels bombings is clearly emerging. Recognizing the three men on the CCTV footage, a cab driver notified Belgian authorities and provided them the address where he picked them up. When investigators reached the place, they found a nail bomb, chemical products, and an ISIS flag.Belgian police has identified a suspect named Najim Laachraoui, whom they believe is a key player in the Paris attacks. His DNA was found in two houses used by the Paris bombers in November. Belgian media speculate that he could be the third man on the airport footage, but no confirmations have been released. 

Salah Abdeslam, who knew Laachraou, is another suspect in the Paris attacks, fled back to Belgium after the attack in November and managed to escape the police until March 18 when he got caught in Molenbeek. An accomplice living with him was shot dead. It is likely that more attacks were already being planned, but they wereexpedited as the hunt for the Paris terrorists continues. Some consider the Brussels bombing an act of revenge. Another contributing factor is Belgium’s inefficient security services that made Brussels vulnerable.

Many Islamist cells are lodged in Belgium, but they are most active in the southwestern suburb of Molenbeek, where bombers from the Paris attacks have been living. Islamist groups have been persuading many Belgian citizens to fight for ISIS, making Belgium Europe’s breeding ground for jihadists. For these reasons, the country is a high-profile target for Islamists. 

In the aftermath of the attack, people experienced massive interruptions in communication and transportation. People have been advised against traveling and going to crowded places. Belgium’s terror threat level has now been raised to four. The country has been placed under three days of mourning after the attack.