A suicide bomber struck at Brussels’ Zaventem airport, with shots fired and words shouted in Arabic before two blasts were heard near the American Airlines check-in desk. Passengers were seen fleeing for their lives shortly after 8am local time. This attack killed 11 and injured 81, Belgium’s health minister said.
An hour later an explosion was heard at the Belgian capital’s Maelbeek metro station in a separate terror attack. Brussels transport officials say 15 people were killed and 55 injured, 10 seriously.
David Cameron called a meeting of the government’s emergency COBRA committee as security is tightened across Europe.
The attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam was arrested in the Belgian capital in relation to November’s terror attacks on Paris.
Belgium has now raised its terrorism threat to its highest level.
Prime Minister Charles Michel called the latest attacks “blind, violent and cowardly”, adding: “This is a day of tragedy, a black day… I would like to call on everyone to show calmness and solidarity”.
