At 8:00 AM Belgium time (9:00 AM Cairo time), the Belgian capital, Brussels, woke up to the sound of two devastating explosions at Zaventem Airport. The first explosion occurred in the airport lobby, while the second happened on the runway.
Details of the Attack and Events:
According to survivors of the attack, several masked individuals entered the airport armed with automatic weapons and began shooting randomly, killing anyone who tried to approach them. Witnesses confirmed that the attackers were speaking Arabic.
After the two explosions, police and civil defense forces rushed to the scene, where they found three other explosive devices that were about to detonate. Before the airport could be fully secured, a third, more enormous explosion occurred at the Maelbeek metro station near the European Union headquarters, further escalating the security situation in the capital.
Casualties and Aftermath of the Attack:
Initial reports indicated that 23 people were killed, including 11 at Zaventem Airport, with many others injured. All signs point to ISIS being responsible for the attacks as retaliation for the arrest of "Salah Abdeslam," who was accused of involvement in the Paris bombings last November.
Investigations and Arrests:
On the Friday before the attacks, Belgian police conducted a raid in the Molenbeek area, where they arrested "Salah Abdeslam" after a shootout that resulted in him being injured in the leg. Weapons, ammunition, and an ISIS flag were found at his hideout.
France has requested the extradition of "Abdeslam" to stand trial for the Paris attacks, which claimed 130 lives, but Belgium has not yet responded to the French request.
Security and International Reactions:
After the explosions, the Belgian Prime Minister's office was evacuated amid fears of a car bomb near his office. It has not yet been confirmed whether the car was actually a bomb.
Although the number of casualties and injuries was lower than those in the Paris bombings, international reactions were swift and decisive. Measures taken included:
Imposing a state of emergency in Brussels, suspending airport flights and metro services.
Strengthening security at airports in European capitals such as "Charles de Gaulle" in Paris, "Heathrow" in London, "Frankfurt" in Germany, and other European countries.
The European Commission ordered its employees to stay home or in their offices until further notice.
ThU.K.UK government's emergency committee "Cobra" met under the leadership of David Cameron.
Economic Impact:
The attack caused European stock markets to plummet immediately after the explosions due to canceling tourist bookings and flights. Stock indexes in Germany fell by 1.1%, in Belgium by 0.8%, in France by 0.7%, and in thU.K.UK by 0.5%.
The euro also dropped by 0.37% against the U.S. dollar and 0.79% against the Japanese yen, which continues to decline.
Additional Effects:
In addition, most countries worldwide canceled their flights to Belgium, including EgyptAir. A friendly soccer match between Belgium and Portugal featuring stars like Thomas Vermaelen and Cristiano Ronaldo was also canceled.