A Broken Brussels

On March 22, 2016, multiple terrorist attacks took place in Brussels.  Three coordinated nail bombings occurred in Belgium; two at Brussels airport in Zaventem and one at Maalbeek metro station in Brussels. In the attacks, 32 people and three suicide bombers were killed, and over 300 people were injured.  Another bomb was also found during a search of the airport after the attacks.  ISIS claimed responsibility for the horrific attacks that shook all of Europe.  These bombings were the worst terrorist attacks in all of Belgium’s history and the Belgium government declared three days of national mourning after the attacks.  

Belgium has historically had a very large population of Muslims, as well as having more nationals fighting for jihadist forces as a proportion to its population than any other Western European country.  An estimated 440 Belgians left for Syria and Iraq by January 2015 to fight for ISIS.  The terrorists involved in the attacks in Paris of November 2015 were based in Belgium and Brussels was locked down for five days to allow the police to search for suspects.  

The explosions in the Brussels airport took place near the British Airways and Iberia check-in-desks and the other between a Starbucks and the Brussels Airlines check-in-desks.  The third bomb that was found by police after the first two explosions was detonated during a controlled explosion by authorities.  The suicide bombers were identified and one of them is said to be the mastermind behind the attacks in Paris last year. After the attack, the Belgian government put the country on its highest terror threat level, the airport was closed, and all flight departures and rail journeys to the airport were cancelled.  The airport was to remain closed until March 24, but this was extended to March 28.

The world is mourning for all those affected by the attacks in Belgium and hope that attacks like these will soon be a distant memory.  

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/28/europe/brussels-investigation/