Note: The following information in this article is subject to change, due to the ongoing release of information and statistics regarding this attack. This is currently an open investigation, and parts of this article may turn out to be incorrect after more information is released.
At least 30 people were killed and 230 were injured after bombings at Zaventem International Airport and a Maelbeek metro station in Brussels, Belgium Tuesday morning, according to CNN. The attacks began with twin blasts at Zaventem at about 8 a.m. local time, said the New York Times.
Maelbeek metro station, near European Union headquarters, was struck an hour after the Zaventem explosions, according to the BBC.
ISIS, the terrorist organization responsible for the 2015 Paris attacks, publicly took responsibility for the explosions in a newly issued bulletin, calling Belgium “a country participating in the coalition against the Islamic State.”
The attacks come just days after Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect of last year’s Paris attacks, which killed 130 people and injured 400, was arrested in an apartment in Molenbeek, south of Brussels, where police later found explosives and an Islamic State flag.
Image courtesy of CNN
Abdeslam, pictured above.
Charles Michel, the prime minister of Belgium, had acknowledged the possibility of retaliation from the Islamic State after Abdeslam’s arrest.
“We were fearing terrorist attacks, and that has now happened,” Michel said. Following the attacks, residents were warned by Michel to “avoid all movement,” according to Belgian authorities.
Transportation to and from Brussels, including air traffic at Brussels Airport, have temporarily been shut down, according to the New York Times.
Pictured: The aftermath of the attacks. Image courtesy of the Washington Post.
Tuesday’s events have garnered widespread international support from many world leaders, including President Obama, currently in Cuba, who offered to do “whatever is necessary” to assist Belgium in their efforts to recover from the attacks.
“We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world,” said President Obama.
Manuel Valls, prime minister of France, declared that the attacks in Brussels and Paris are much more than isolated events.
“We are at war,” Valls said.
If you or someone you know has information regarding the identity of the men involved in the attacks, please contact the Belgian authorites.
Pictured: A memorial in Brussels to honor victims of the attacks. Image courtesy of Global News and The Associated Press.