IANS
Brussels, March 22
At least 34 people were killed on Tuesday as two deadly explosions rocked the Zaventem airport in the Belgian capital and a more powerful blast ripped through a train coach at a metro station in the heart of Brussels in the worst terror attack in Europe in four months.
Fourteen people were killed as two quick explosions took place in the country’s biggest airport just before 8 a.m. in a departure area, breaking windows, furniture and machinery, leaving it looking like a war zone. Over 80 people were injured in the huge blasts, which triggered a panic run by hundreds of stunned passengers and staff from the airport building. Authorities said a suicide bomber was to blame for one explosion and that someone was heard shouting in Arabic and open fire moments earlier.
A Kalashnikov was later found near the body of a dead man.
An hour later, another explosion shattered the middle of a three-coach train car at the Maalbeek Metro station, leaving the carriage in a heap of mangled wreck with 20 dead and 55 injured, 16 of them critically.
As the global community, India included, rallied in solidarity with Belgium, Prime Minister Charles Michel called it a “moment of tragedy” and blamed it on “blind, violent and cowards”.
Islamic State claims Brussels terror
attacks
The Islamic State group has reportedly claimed the terrorist blasts at the Brussels airport and a city metro station on Tuesday and pledged to stage similar attacks in Europe.
IS’s Amaq news agency took credit for the Brussels attacks, praising their “planning, rapid execution and dynamism” on the Telegram messaging application, Egyptian daily El-Watan reported.
The message also vowed “further similar operations in Europe”, according to El-Watan. At least 14 people are believed to have died in two explosions at the Zaventem airport and 20 more in the bombing at the Maelbeek metro station about an hour later.
At least one of the explosions was caused by a suicide bomber, Belgium’s federal prosecutor was quoted as saying.
