A bombing has plunged the Belgian capital of Brussels into blood. 34 people were killed and 198 others were injured after three terrorists attacked Zaventem airport and the Maalbeek metro station.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on March 22, 2016, two explosions exploded in the departure hall of Zaventem airport in Brussels.
An hour later, a bomb also exploded at the Maalbeek metro station, near the European Union institutions.
All employees were immediately evacuated. Initially, the media reported that the explosion took place at the "Schuman" metro station, but this was denied by the metro teams that arrived at the scene.
It was established that the bomb in the metro exploded on a train at a time when it was stopped at "Maelbeek". Amateur footage shared on social networks showed that it was made up of separate carriages, which certainly led to fewer injuries than if the explosion had occurred on a train without partitions between the carriages.
A few hours after the bloody attacks, the "Islamic State" group claimed responsibility for them, the BBC reported. The British media corporation cited the jihadist-affiliated "Amaq" agency.
"Islamic State" fighters opened fire at "Zaventem" airport before several of them detonated their explosive belts, and a martyr - a bomber blew himself up in the "Maalbeek" metro station, the "Islamic State" announced.
Immediately after the first explosions, a state of emergency was declared at Brussels Airport, with all flights canceled and public transport suspended. The airport was evacuated and closed for 24 hours. The services also found an unexploded bomb in the departure hall where the explosions occurred.
The bombs used at "Zaventem" were loaded with nails to cause greater damage. This was determined by doctors who treated the victims of the attack.
The security threat in Belgium was raised to the maximum level of four throughout the country and an emergency meeting of the National Security Council was convened. Meanwhile, the country closed its borders in search of suspected terrorists.
The terrorist attacks in the city came just four days after the authorities managed to arrest Algerian Salah Abdeslam, the suspect in the November 13 attacks in Paris, after a months-long manhunt. The investigation revealed that the Brussels terrorists were also involved in the Paris attacks.