22/03/2016 BBC News Special

Whether they have plotted the attack themselves and this is the

responsibility of individuals as in Paris in November, they are directed

by Isis, or inspired by Isis, Isis is expected to claim responsibility.

Is it people who are part of the network, informal network, that has

been investigated around Brussels that was part of the Paris attacks,

or somebody else? Individuals with no formal ties?

The fifth of the timing, suggests that this has been connected to

Salah Abdeslam? It is difficult to say. I think obviously the attacks

are synchronised, relatively sophisticated, targeting their

airport, one of the most secure Metro stations at Brussels. It shows

some sophistication. They decided, to carry out the attacks, whether

because they are afraid Salah Abdeslam could give information, or

to avenge that the rest. -- arrest. All the other off, possible. What do

you make of how the security services and intelligence agencies

have been handling things, that they missed this attack, even though they

were on high alert? It is open societies, not possible to control

everything, every possible target, it is premature to put the blame on

those authorities, but at the same time, fair to say Belgian

authorities have been overground, with the number of individuals like

to Islamic State. It is a tiny law enforcement agency, not coping with

the numbers, that the long to Isis, with this ideology, problems with

the government, different agencies, problems of coordination with

France, and it has been debated over the last few months, that Belgium

has a problem. This is one of the manifestations. How many more

Jihadis do you think, that have not been identified? It is obviously

difficult. Belgian talk about 500, 600, going to Iraq and to fight.

About 100 have come back to Belgium. Many people, not known to the

authorities, and a number of individuals, simply radicalised, in

spite of -- inspired by Isis. We saw from the Paris attacks, that they

had some sympathisers, absconding for months. I would not want to

exaggerate, but definitely hundreds, if not low thousands, with that

ideology. Do you think any of the diva applies each and programmes,

these efforts to address why young men are particularly turning to

Islamic State, Jihadism, are working? Nobody argues, tools to

eliminate the threat. Threat reduction. Working in a certain

amount of cases. Last year, Britain intervened 4000 individuals. It

works for some cases, and not for others. Some people are so

radicalised, you cannot change them back and the radicalised him. At the

numbers are so high, even if it worked for 30% of cases, you are

eliminating dangerous, a and two zoning on the most important.

Law-enforcement is so limited symptoms of what it can do, so we

need those tools to be more comprehensive. Thank you. The

Belgian Prime Minister was speaking earlier today, condemning what he

called his cowardly acts, and he said that he wanted people to come

together. TRANSLATION: Our first thoughts

are with the victims, their families and those

waiting for information Two attacks have

happened this morning. One at Zavantem and one

at the metro station Maelbeek. Because of the security

situation we are trying to stabilise

the situation. Our thoughts are

coming towards other The first urgent action

is to provide treatment for the victims, to

evacuate the victims of this attack towards various

hospitals, and we know that probably we are talking about scores of dead

and injured persons, The authorities are evaluating

the threat and have raised it to level four, and additional

security measures are being taken Military enforcements

being deployed. Enforcement of border

control are in action. Especially measures regarding public

transport are being put in place I would like to tell

you this black moment in our country,

I would like to call We are facing

a challenging, difficult time and we should face up to this

challenge by being united, We will continue to

follow the situation minute by minute with different

security services, different rescue I would like to thank the security

services for the work We are determined to face this

situation and manage this situation and to deal with it

as best as possible. That was the Belgian Prime Minister.

We can get the latest from Brussels. What can you tell us, about the

airport? Police discovered an unused airport? Police discovered an unused

explosive belt? Yes. It has been reported by Belgian and French

media, it was a suicide built. I am 400 metres away. This group of

police officers, carried out an arrest, on a group of teenagers. And

all that we know, officially, it was a suspicious package, found at the

airport. Defusing what appears to be a bomb. But simply, we have said a

suspicious package. That eyewitnesses, the testimony,

powerful statements from those on the ground for low-level, check in

desk six, at the centre of the departure lounge. Heard two

explosions. I spoke to one man, telling me that he saw the ceiling

cave in. Coaching, blood on his legs and hands. He was talking to the

police, shaking, crying. Describing how he went back and forth, to the

airport, dragging elderly people out. He said two people died in

front of him. His friends were comforting him. And we have also

seen three hearses going to the airport. Grim sight. Some people,

leaving, and many of them sobbing as they saw that. From the point of

view of the police, a lot of confusion, trying to keep the ball

calm, people have been wondering when the airport is going to open

again. We have been told it will be at least three days. And the issue,

off when it is good to BC, people learning about the explosion, at the

Metro station, 20 people, according to the local transport people, but

no confirmation of how many people have died at the airport. Local

media, telling us at least 14 people. The Prime Minister Charles

Michel has told us that this attack was violent and cowardly. Scores

killed. Across the city, helicopters, constant sirens, police

and emergency services. It is clearly the highest level of alert,

number four, expecting another attack. This is going back to the

Loughton, December, and a lot of people feel nervous around report.

-- airport. Thank you. These are live pictures from Brussels. We were

just talking about some of the figures. All we want to clarify.

More than 30 people killed in Brussels today. The state

broadcaster has said that before. The mayor of Brussels has been

speaking. 20 people on the Metro, 11 at the airport. 106 people wounded,

17 gravely, 23 seriously. Large number of people wounded. Fears that

will rise. Obviously, that is fluid. We will keep you across updates. I

have been speaking to a woman, who was with her family, this morning.

We were just having breakfast, to get my mum, suddenly an explosion on

my right. Walls falling off. Everybody started running. So did

we. After five, ten seconds, a second blast. And we did not know

where to go. We stood in the middle, for about five minutes, but nobody

could help. Now guidance, nothing. We could not breathe. And that was

the moment that we felt we had to go out. It must have been incredibly

frightening? For your mum? It was. I was not just with my mum. My family.

And you saw people killed and injured? Yes. We saw people injured.

A mum with a baby. A lot of smoke? Glass? Yes. A lot of smoke. We could

not see anything. No glass. But a lot of dust. Walls falling down.

Hand was anybody offering to help? Actually not. Everybody was just so

shocked. Nobody from security. We had to find our own way outside. Do

people realise it was a bomb? Yes. In the beginning, we did not. And we

knew that it could be more, in the building. Also, a sense of panic,

worrying it could be another bomb? Of course. Definitely. People trying

to hide. Just trying to find something. One witness, talking

earlier today. It is still not clear who was responsible for today, and

of course, the suspicion is that this is the so-called Islamic State?

But just to recap, no Jihadist crime. Have you seen anything on

social media? No crime of responsibility, but those online,

certainly treating this as an Islamic attack, in celebration mode,

active on social media. Sharing footage. Producing their own

posters. Celebrating this attack, the sickly scaremongering. Also,

taking pride. Brussels and walked in, all of these security measures,

across the European cities, they are proud of these measures. And from

what you are saying, do you think Jihadist supporters think this was

almost richer vision, for the arrest of Salah Abdeslam? This was one of

the key lines. That this was in response to the recent arrest of

Salah Abdeslam. Revenge. Others have also said it was Islamic State,

taking revenge on the air strikes, US led, across Iraq and Syria. Those

of also limited, the attacks at Mosul. In terms of slimy state --

Islamic State, the normally delay until operations have been

concluded, so that operatives have either been killed or escaped. And

as we have learned from the reporting, events still unfolding.

What else are you seeing? About these attacks, from Brussels,

monitoring sites? One thing that has been standing out, supporters of

Al-Qaeda, the rival of Islamic State, have not offered an opinion.

They have not if they are pro or against them. Set that is another

sign, pointing in the direction of Islamic State. These are dangerous

times. We have two dangerous Jihadist groups. Competing over

these attacks, who has the most powerful. This is what we have been

seeing so far. From previous experience, IS supporters would not

have the level of activity, supporting certain attacks, unless

they have some kind of intel. That these do belong to Islamic State.

Arabic media, and Western media, reporting that Isis had taken

responsibility, but this is not genuine, just circulating, we have

seen nothing official from Isis. Thank you. The French president

Francois Hollande, has condemned the attacks. He said that it had

attacked Belgium, but you look -- Europe was the target. I would like

the challenge, and for the families, worried, about loved ones, our

thoughts are with them. We share pain. Terrorists have struck

Belgium, but Europe is the target. The world should be concerned. These

attacks have been following others, Paris, particularly targeted last

year, January and November, and other continents, felt the same.

Especially Africa. But we are facing a global threat. That necessitates

and requires a global response, for us and Belgium. We are linked with

horror. I have reassured the Belgian government, that we are going to

provide all the necessary means. But the war against terrrorists should

be carried out across Europe, using all the necessary means, and

intelligence information. David Cameron said that the attacks on

Brussels underlined the importance of Europe standing together. These

are appalling terrorist attacks, I have just spoken to the Belgian

Prime Minister, to give condolences, and be absolutely stand with him at

this difficult time. These attacks were then Belgium, it could just as

easily be Germany, Britain, and we need to stand together, to make sure

that these terrorists win. We have also offered every support, to the

Belgian security services, as I have chaired a Cobra meeting, two ensure

that we are doing everything that we can, increased police presence, at

your porch, railway stations, as you would expect, but these are

difficult times, appalling terrorists, but we're going to stand

together to stop them, and to make sure that all they attack our way of

life, and who we are, we will never let them win. David Cameron said

this could have been any city. But Brussels, particularly, our target?

Belgium has not been singled out, because of the policy, it is a

target of opportunity. It is an easy place to operate, and it is clear

that Brussels has become the logistics heart for Islamic State

across Europe. It has got the highest proportion, per capita of

people going to join Islamic State, across Syria and Iraq. It goes back,

if you remember 9/11, two days before New York was attacked, two

Belgian passport holders went to Afghanistan, assassinating targets,

the have had a long history of jihadis, the attack on the train

last year. Weapons used against Charlie Hebdo. That was traced back

to Brussels. They have got profound problems, with security. Are you

surprised, they are carrying these attacks out on their doorstep? I

think it is too early to say, exactly who carried these out, but

investigators going towards the CD, that these attacks were probably

planned in advance, but brought forward, by the capture of Salah

Abdeslam, on Friday. He was a key suspect, went to the Batalan

attacks, that would probably have spooked them, brought that forward

just in case they were captured. Other cells could be out. The

original security seems to be good. Problems, with intelligence and

accuracy across Europe. The jumpers close to what Britain was, about ten

years ago, in terms of MI5. Not sharing everything with police. At

Belgium, intelligence agencies do not share and off with police.

Speaking different languages. Not on top of the problem. Just playing

catch up. And going up against a good enemy. Salah Abdeslam was

arrested days ago. What security questions are going to be asked?

Prosecutors and investigators want to know what is inside his head. I'm

glad Europe does torture. But even if they did, would they get the

answers? I am glad that we have moved on from 2001, waterboarding,

all that. But he said that he was planning to be one of the suicide

bombers, and a vest with his DNA, was found, discareded after Paris

attacks. But should they have been ready? Able to prevent this? They

probably should have been. Belgium was braced for some sort of impact,

backlash. It is surprising that somebody was able to get to the

departure lounge, you think they would have had better security. One

of the things that Belgium has been lacking, any preventive strategy.

Prevent is a dirty world in these communities. It is supposed to stop

more people getting radicalised, joining Islamic State, getting drawn

to terrorism. It has had successes, but also failures. In Belgium, they

do not have this. Bad relations between the police, and inhabitants

of Molenbeek. You have talked about some of the things that have made

Belgium vulnerable. What lessons for other European cities? Intelligence

sharing. And bitter communities, they need to get better

intelligence, if you look at last year, a shooting, we have had

arrests, at places in Antwerp, they have got to improve the police

intelligence, and share things better. David Cameron said that

Britain was offering orbital that it could, to Belgium, and Jim needs

that. Belgian police, to find out what they need to know, often were

not from British counterparts. They learn from MI5. It goes all the way

round. Actually, it should be making that directly. This is taken that is

being wasted, and they cannot afford that. Thank you for talking to us.

We can go to Gatwick Airport. Momentarily. But these are the

latest pictures from Zaventem Airport. And you can see the damage,

to that section of the building. That second explosion. We can go to

Gatwick Airport. Then, with the airport across Europe, ramping up

security in response to these attacks? That is correct. Obviously,

severe threat level. Non specific. But a desire across all your porch,

to reassure the public and increase awareness. We seem police patrols,

on the roads, and of course, armed presence. We are likely to see that

extended, across the chip network, -- tube network, and we have learned

from the border agency, enhanced checks on vehicles. I think it is

good to add time to journeys. And European portals have also been

taped and as a result of the tragedy, in Belgian, this morning.

Awareness is important. Security services now that eyes and ears are

valuable. That has been on the link, from the Metropolitan Police, that

travellers coming out of Brussels, could have some footage, and that

they should get in touch with the Metropolitan Police. That could be

important evidence. Two things. Yes, increased awareness, and reassuring

as well. Thank you for that. We can bring you date with figures. The

mayor of Brussels, has said that 20 people killed on the Metro. And 23

seriously injured. And the number from your porch, 11 people at least

killed. Those numbers, just coming to us. Different numbers, on the

Metro. Ongoing security operation, at the airport. And much of the

Belgian capital, unlocked and, following the offence. -- events.

World leaders, expressing concern, and offering support. Thank you for

being with us. More than 30 people have been killed

and dozens injured, many seriously, after a series of bomb attacks on

Belgium. This was the scene in the departure

hall at Brussels airport moments after the first bombs went off.

I heard one shot fired, then someone shouted some words in Arabic

followed by a huge explosion and people started to flee towards the

lifts and escalators. The blasts were detonated at 8.00 am

local time. Authorities believe at least one was a suicide bomb. An

hour later, at least 20 people were killed when a bomb exploded on a

packed underground train. Survivors were led along a tunnel to safety.

I was in the Metro heading to Maelbeek. We received a big blast of

air and the train stopped. This is the scene live in Brussels. The

threat level across Belgium is now at maximum. The country's Prime

Minister has condemned what he calls blind and cowardly attacks. This

tragic moment, this black moment in our country never before, I would

like to call on everybody to know calmness and solidarity.

As the attacks are condemned from leaders around the world we will

bring you the latest in this BBC News special.

Welcome to BBC News. There have been a series of bomb attacks in Brussels

this morning morning that have led more than 30 dead and many more

injured. The first attack was at the international airport. Two bombs

went off there, at least one was a suicide bomber. Then about an hour

later another blast hit central Brussels. This time it was at the

Maelbeek Metro station which is just a few hundred metres away from some

of the most important buildings of the European Union. At least 20 were

killed and more than 100 were injured.

The devastating explosions come four days after the arrest in the city of

the Paris terror suspect Salah Abdeslam. The Belgian Prime Minister

has called the attacks a dark moment for the nation. Belgium is now in

virtual lockdown. We will be live in Brussels in a

moment: Travellers cower in fear

of further attack. Two bombs had ripped

through the building. And the police ordered

an evacuation. The bombs blew out the windows

and they brought down the ceiling. First we thought it was

a billboard falling It was 20 centimetres from me,

it was a big explosion. And then there were two people

working on the airport. They told me to come

inside and they locked the door and behind a little gap,

I saw a soldier putting away a body, I hope he was not dead

and was just hit. Guns at the ready, the army

and the police watch over passengers evacuated from the bombed

airport as the mayhem of the morning There was one gunshot

after the first explosion, And one man was speaking Arabic

afterwards and I heard an enormous It was, said Belgian's Prime

Minister, a black day. TRANSLATION: Our country

and our citizens have been struck And our first thoughts

go to the victims, Brussels is on the highest

state of alert. The military has

sent reinforcements. Public transport has

ceased in Europe's capital, flights suspended,

Eurostar halted. Europe, says the French Prime

Minister, is at war, Our correspondent Gavin Lee is by

the airport in Brussels. I am 400 metres away. Police are going in and

out. This group of officers here, about ten minutes ago, carried out

an arrest of a group of teenagers close to the airport. It's unclear

as to what was going on. They were close to media teams. All we know

officially from the Government is that a suspicious package has been

found in the airport. The bomb disposal team is on the way in

trying to defuse what appears to be a bomb. Little confirmation about

that at the moment, simply suspicious package they're saying.

To rewind back to 8.00am and some eyewitness testimony we have been

hearing, really powerful statements from those that were on the ground

floor level by the check-in desks, the 6th where American Airlines are

and Brussels Airlines in the centre of the departure lounge that heard

two explosions, I was speaking to one man who is said he saw the

ceiling cave in. He immediately hit the ground. He crouched and saw

people in a worse state than he is, he had blood on his legs and hands

and he was talking to the police, he was in a state of shock, shaking and

crying, he was describing how he went back and forth in and out of

the airport dragging people, mostly elderly people out of the exterior

which was covered in shattered glass. He said there were two people

that died in front of him. He was in a terrible state. His friends were

confidenting him. -- comforting him. We have watched three hearses going

into the airport. A grim sight and there were people leaving with

suitcases going to a reception centre to get information. Many of

them sobbing as they saw the sight in front of them, finding it hard to

fathom. From the police point of view there is confusion. They're

trying to keep people calm despite the little information. People are

saying when is the airport going to open again and can they leave? We

are being told it's at least three days according to local police

officers here. There is also the issue of where is it safe to go?

Many people are arriving here and hearing about the explosion in the

Tube Station where there's been a confirmed death toll so far of 20

people according to the local mayor, and according to the transport

network here, still no confirmation of how many people have died here at

the airport. Local media saying at least 14 people. With 55 injured.

The Prime Minister saying this is an attack which is blind, violent and

cowardly and that scores of people have been killed and right across

the city helicopters are hovering ahead. There are constantly sounds

of sirens with police cars and emergency services and road blocks,

we were - clearly the highest state of alert now, level four that they

expect another attack. This is going back to the days of the lockdown in

December when it was at the highest level of alert and it feels like it

at the moment. A lot of people nervous in and around the airport

now. Less than an hour after the blasts

at the airport a third bomb exploded on the underground Metro in the

heart of the city at Maelbeek station. It was close to the

European Commission's main building. At least 20 people died and more

than 100 injured according to the latest statement from the mayor of

Brussels. The entire Metronetwork remains shut. Christian Fraser

reports. The screams of a traumatised child

emerging from a packed commuter train in the immediate

aftermath of an explosion. The other passengers set off on foot

into a tunnel filled They follow the lights

but they do not know where they are going

or what they are walking into. Above them at street

level, pandemonium. The metro station is Maelbeek,

just 500 metres from The explosions echoed down tunnels,

so loud commuters in two neighbouring stations

thought they were also There was a loud muffled

noise, very audible. There was initial panic

but there was so much construction as they build over Brussels

all the time it is hard to discern There was a lot of dust

and smoke almost immediately I was in the metro

heading from Charleroi, We had the normal recording

announcements, we have just had an incident, we are trying

to resolve the issue, We waited and smoke

entered the carriages. The bomb went off in

a confined space at the peak of the morning rush-hour,

as thousands headed into work As first responders arrived,

the smoke was still billowing from the entrance, these

were the walking wounded, but inside there were

horrific injuries. 15 people are reported

killed and 55 wounded. Until this point, the Belgian

capital was a hub for jihadis, used for

hiding and plotting. It is clear now that Salah Abdeslam

was a small cog in a much bigger terrorist industry, still not fully

understood and still extremely Let's cross now to Anna Holligan. No

trains, no trams, military on the streets. This is lockdown. This is

as far as we can go actually. We are right outside the European

Commission building. You can see the level of security behind us here.

This is literally as far as they're letting us go. There are soldiers in

position behind these police vans, not sure if you can see them. The

road has been blocked off. You can see the flags, the European flags

outside the Commission building are now flying at half-mast. The

station, Maelbeek station, that Christian was talking about there,

is down this road. The federal prosecutors have confirmed the

explosions were terrorist attacks and what we are hearing in the last

couple of minutes from Belgian television is Ian unexploded suicide

vest was found at the airport, that follows earlier reports that a

Kalashnikov was found there too. Everyone from the station has been

evacuated. According to reports there was an explosive device in the

second carriage of a three-carriage train. The driver stopped the train

immediately and allowed everyone who was able to to leave the station.

That's all been sealed off now. We have been hearing from the Belgian

Prime Minister, he says this this is a tragic moment in our country's

history. They're continuing to follow the situation. They're

evaluating the threat. They've confirmed that the attack at the

airport was carried out, they say, probably by a suicide bomber.

They're looking at additional security now. Military

reinforcements are being brought in. They've called on everybody to show

kindness and solidarity they say during this challenging time. He

also says, interestingly, this is what we feared would happen. This,

of course, follows the arrest of the prime suspect in the Paris attacks,

Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested here in Brussels on Friday.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but security was not increased after

that arrest. Well, we were here in Brussels after that arrest. What we

found most remarkable was there was no indication of what had happened

or the fact that two of these suspects had escaped through the

back of an apartment close to the suburb of Molenbeek. We did see

sniffer dogs on the streets and some police but indeed the terror threat

level stayed at three. Today, it has been raised to four, which is the

maximum level. Just looking at what some jihadi experts are saying

today, one says that if these attacks, these three explosions,

were indeed a response to the anti-terror operation that happened

here in Brussels last week, then they were pulled together at

remarkable speed and perhaps what's most shocking isn't that these

attacks happened, but they seem to have been so well co-ordinated, the

two attacks, 8.00am local time this morning, followed by one just over

an hour later, just behind us down this road at the Maelbeek Metro

station. You can see some people are now being allowed through. They may

be workers who have been inside the European buildings. We should say

this is right in the heart of the European district of Brussels. They

couldn't have struck at a more sensitive place. The police are down

there. They've cordoned off this whole area. I will bring you back

around here and show you behind here, there are more police. Police

cars are coming down this road constantly. Behind there,

unsurprisingly perhaps, the television crews from all over the

world have gathered because this is an issue that leaders from all over

the world have been commenting today. The British Prime Minister,

David Cameron, has said his thoughts are with this country. As we

understand it, one Briton has been injured in the attacks this morning

here in Brussels. We have spoken before about Brussels, in terms of a

hub for terrorism, the Paris attacks reportedly planned there, but

Brussels is now the target. Indeed. Brussels is very much the target.

It's right in the spotlight now. We spent a couple of days in Molenbeek

last week, so many of the people involved in the Paris attacks last

November had links to Molenbeek. Indeed, the Prime Minister, the man

who is thought to be the ringleader, who was featured in gruesome Islamic

State videos and died in police raids subsequently in Paris, he was

friends, it said, with Salah Abdeslam, one of the few people who

survived and was arrested during a dramatic raid outside his home last

Friday. He was shot in the leg and taken to hospital. Over the weekend

we had very early reports from those initial interrogations in which he

said he planned to blow himself up at the Stade de France and changed

his mind and he also, according to the Belgian Foreign Minister, said

he was planning something else. They didn't specify what else. As the

Prime Minister has said today, this is really confirming their worst

fears. More sirens now. There is a forensic unit heading in towards the

Commission building. Probably down towards the Metro station here. It's

a very fast-moving story, as you can imagine. We have had confirmation

from a university here in Belgium that the students have been asked to

stay inside. Helicopters and soldiers were reported to be at the

scene. Also, the Belgian crisis centre has tweeted in the last

couple of minutes saying that students at all schools in the

country should stay inside until further instructions and that's an

order they say from the Ministry of Education. Now once again Belgium

has been brought in, they're still searching for people responsible for

these apparently co-ordinated attacks, two at Brussels airport

this morning and one at the Metro station behind us at Maelbeek. Given

the apparent co-ordination of that, the fear has to be there are still

terrorists on the loose in Brussels right now? They had little doubt

there was still people out there who may have sympathy or violent

ambitions certainly. A number of people were arrested along with

Salah Abdeslam last week. They had been sheltering him, the police

said. Certainly when you go down to Molenbeek and of course it's not

just Molenbeek, but this has become the synonymous with this jihadi

network because so many of the attackers in Paris had links there.

Certainly no further word on the suspects. There are reports of

the... We will leave you there. We will go straight to Cuba. President

Obama is addressing an audience at the National Theatre and is expected

to say something about what's happened in Brussels. Let's join him

now. Thank you very much. President

Castro, the people of Cuba, thank you so much for the warm welcome

that I have received, that my family have received and that our

delegation has received. It is an extraordinary honour to be here

today. Before I begin, please indulge me, I want to comment on the

terrorist attacks that have taken place in Brussels. The thoughts and

prayers of the American people are with the people of Belgium and we

stand in solidarity with them in condemning these outrageous attacks

against innocent people. We will do whatever is necessary to support our

friend and ally Belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible

and this is yet another reminder that the world must unite. We must

be together, regardless of nationality, or race or faith in

fighting against the scourge of terrorism. We can and we will defeat

those who theten the safety and security of people around the world.

To the Government and the people of Cuba, I want to thank you for the

kindness that you have shown to me and Michelle and my daughters and

mother-in-law, Marion. STUDIO: President Obama there

expressing his condolences, it's a matter of much more sympathy, it's a

matter of US intelligence being brought to bear on what's been

happening in Brussels. We can speak to Laura in the Cuban capital,

Havana. There is always strong co-ordination between the US and its

European allies, the NATO headquarters in Brussels too, on a

high state of alert. What have you been hearing from the White House

officials travelling with the President? Well, that's right. What

we have heard is that President Obama was briefed early this morning

on those events in Brussels and that US officials are already in contact

with Belgian officials about these explosions. The US after the 9/11

attacks always ready to offer whatever assistance it can. The

President there saying that America will do whatever it can to bring to

justice those responsible. He also made the point, this is another

reminder, he said, that the world must unite in fighting terrorism.

Behind the scenes clearly already US officials in contact with their

counterparts in Europe to offer whatever assistance they may be able

to. It's inevitable this will also feed into the very feverish American

political scene at the moment. I have seen Donald Trump, the

republican frontrunner being quoted saying perhaps we should think about

closing our borders? Well, that's right. Actually Ted Cruz, another of

the presidential candidates, has already called on President Obama to

either return to the US or to go to Brussels. President Obama really in

his way appealing for calm, saying this is a time to unite. It has been

a very divisive presidential election campaign -- campaign, so

here he is wanting that message of unity to go out. He has a big

delegation travelling with him. I was talking to one of the

Congresswomen from Los Angeles, that would be a major target for any

terrorists and she told me that it's very important to remain vigilant

but also not to undermine any of the basic freedoms that Americans enjoy.

Thank you. On the line now is the CEO of St

Luke Hospital in Brussels. Thank you for joining us. How many people are

you treating as a result of what's happened this morning? Good

afternoon. We have admitted certain patients in our emergency service.

What sort of injuries are you treating? Different type of problems

for the patient but I just would like to say only two of the patients

are actually in intensive care unit. Hospitals these days have emergency

plans ready, presumably you put those in force this morning?

Absolutely. Around 9.00am this morning we were totally ready with

our crisis team up and running and with the contingency plan, which was

already launched. We freed most of the space in the emergency, most of

the operating room has been freed and also we have organised to have

enough places in intensive care for both adults and children. When you

first heard that news this morning what was your reaction? I think

everybody was shocked because even if we knew that it was possible to

have this type of attack, it's always a shock to have this type of

event in Belgium but at the same time our first mission is to give

the best care for the patients and to focus on helping the victims as

soon as possible. How was the decision reached, which of those who

had been injured went to which hospitals? This is a region decision

to decide which hospital the victim is going. It's not our decision. But

our team was totally ready and we had up to 100 nurses and doctors

ready to take care of all the victims at the emergency care. Given

the chaos there must have been this morning how would you assess the

mood of people there this afternoon? I mean within my hospital the mood

is like everywhere in Belgium around the world, but at the same time our

first focus is the people and the health of the people and it's to

provide the best care for the patient. This is our priority. Thank

you very much for your time. One of our team in Brussels is

saying the Government crisis centre in Belgium is calling on schools and

businesses to keep everyone inside as the operations continue. That

lockdown that we were hearing about from Anna earlier is obviously

continuing. In London, the Prime Minister, David

Cameron, gave his response to the attacks.

These are appalling and savage terrorist

attacks and I have just spoken to the Prime Minister of Belgium

to give our condolences to the Belgian

people and we stand with them at this very difficult time.

These were attacks in Belgium and could just

as well be attacks in Britain, France,

Germany or elsewhere in Europe, and we need to stand together

against these appalling terrorists and make

I have made sure we can offer every support

I have chaired a meeting of Cobra to make

sure that we can do everything we can and there will be increased

security at stations as you would expect.

These are difficult times, appalling terrorists,

but we must stand together to do everything we

can to stop them and to make sure although they attack our way of life

David Cameron referred there to COBRA, the Government's emergency

meeting being held this morning. One of the areas affected is security at

transport hubs across the UK. We can go now to our correspondent Robert

Hall at Gatwick Airport. Is it clear to you that security is intensified?

Yes, there are police in evidence on approach roads around the airport

and once again within the airport terminals. There is an important

word here and that is reassurance. We are still at a severe threat

level in this country which means there is no specific threat to a

specific target but the efforts both here at transport hubs, in the

centre of London, again it was referred to by the Mayor of London

Boris Johnson this morning, is to get visible presence out there,

particularly in areas which might be vulnerable to reassure the public.

That is also true in our ports, Dover have said they will be putting

enhanced measures in place, UK Border Agency likewise, perhaps

searching cars more coming into the UK, so perhaps some disruption to

journeys in and across Europe because their borders will be

somewhat tighter after the events in Brussels this morning. The other

word I think is awareness. The Metropolitan Police this morning

asking for people who might have come back from Brussels or have any

video or photographic evidence they took at the airport or in the centre

of Brussels, please could they give that, get that into the police

because it might be very important evidentially. The security services

and the police know clearly that it is eyes and ears on the ground that

may provide the breakthrough they need given the warning that they

need, that public awareness is crucially important, but reassuring

the public equally so. Is security the top priority here,

but given Brussels is a hub airport for viewers here in the UK or

globally, there is that knock-on effect across Europe. There is.

There is a simple message, if you are planning on going to Brussels by

air or rail, don't do it at least for the next 24 hours because things

are still locked down as you have been hearing. It's very tense. It's

nervous. There is likely to be further disruption. If you are going

by road, allow more time. That is already the case and has been for

the last few months, allow more time for border security checks, but

again be aware. Be aware wherever you are. Thank you.

You are watching BBC News. This is continuing coverage after a series

of bomb attacks in Brussels targeting the main airport and a

Metro station in the city centre. More than 30 people are now reported

to have been killed with dozens more injured. Two explosions hit the main

airport, the first went off in the departures hall at Brussels

international airport and as people ran to the exit there was a second

bigger explosion. The authorities say that was probably a suicide

bomber. At least 11 people were killed there and more than 80 were

injured. Local reports said shots were fired

and there were shouts in Arabic. About an hour later, there was

another attack. This time on the Metro right in the heart of

Brussels, close to the European Commission headquarters. 20 people

are known to have died in it that attack, more than 100 people were

injured. The city is in lockdown with people

being told to stay where they are. Hundreds of troops are being

deployed. The Prime Minister has said this is a black day for his

country. Security has been stepped up and key transport locations in

London, Paris and New York have all reacted.

The key Paris terror suspect, Salah Abdeslam, the authorities believe

last year's attacks in Paris were largely planned in Brussels. Also

they knew a number of other suss pecks were on the run and could be

ready to carry out further terrorist attacks. Frank Gardner reports.

A co-ordinated terror attack in the heart of Europe.

Belgium was braced for this but there may still be more to come.

The dramatic arrest on Friday of the jihadist Salah Abdeslam,

seen here in white, has led investigators to a grim conclusion

that are more terrorist cells planning attacks in Europe

Najim Laachraoui is one of two known suspects still at large.

The Brussels district of Molenbeek has acted as a logistics hub

for so-called Islamic State but the group has networks

and supporters in every major European country.

I think we are facing a severe capacity problem.

We do not have the security forces to deal with all these

So I think what we need is a full spectrum response,

to address terrorism in a more preventative way because we cannot

Last year's attack on the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo

was a wake-up call to both French and Belgian intelligence agencies.

It exposed the huge scale of Islamic State attack planning

in Europe, much of it centred on Brussels.

Belgian's history of terrorism includes the May 2014 attack

on the Jewish Museum which led four dead.

In 2015, the weapons used in the Paris attacks

The same year, police were fired on in the town of Verviers and now

Belgium does has a particular problem concerning security,

the intelligence agencies do not share enough information with police

meaning attacks like today can be missed.

As Belgium puts its security forces on maximum alert today,

countries like Britain are offering to help.

Belgium's security challenges are simply too big for it to tackle

Dr Sally Leivesley is an adviser on public protection. Given the high

profile arrest a few days ago of Salah Abdeslam, security wasn't

increased and yet within days, we see an attack of this nature. Should

we be surprised? We shouldn't be surprised that there was another

attack but it may not necessarily be connected to the first network

that's been found, so the surprise to the Belgians may be another

coherent network that's had a long-term plan because this is

coordinated and needs long-term planning. Approaching a US airlines

desk in a highly defended airport under the current security situation

really takes a lot of determination. They found, according to reports,

one suicide belt. They'll be examining that, but how easy is it

to arrange something with such apparent speed, given we are talking

just a few days? The difficulty for the authorities is that they've

found that flats have been rented, they know that bomb centres have

been set up and it's really make and bake with some of the explosives. We

have had the same sort of explosives with our terror attacks in the UK.

It's very difficult to detect that particular type of explosive with

airport monitoring as well. I think the warning will go out for

aviation, particularly in-bound to the USA from today's activity. Is

there potential embarrassment for the Belgian security authorities

given they did not increase their security threat? -- security threat

at the moment they arrested the Paris suspect? They have been on the

old-fashioned basis of when intelligence knows. We now

understand, particularly with encrypted telephones that

intelligence will not always know, so I think when we get to what might

be the second top alert, the public should be on total alert because the

Intelligence Services may not know. People in Brussels this afternoon

are going to be aware that there could well be some terrorists on the

streets this afternoon who were involved this morning? It would be

surprising if these attacks had actually stop and it's not only in

Brussels and other parts of Belgium, but certainly France will be on very

high alert. We have seen how Heathrow and London has increased

its alert, as have other countries, because the embedded networks, which

are now really being mobilised with central Daesh-potential control,

they have weapons and they can do a run at any tile. Given Brussels has

been the focus of massive international interest and given the

presence of known cells there, are you surprised that the capital of

Belgium's now become a target itself?

It's perhaps not been seen as such an attractive a target as Paris or

London, but because of proximity to the plotters, the apparent ease with

which they can carry out attacks and I would think lack of preparedness

with the policing. The Paris police are highly prepared for the

attackers. The ability to do fast response in Brussels has been

lacking and they have admitted that themselves. So what can the public

do given that you are saying these attacks are probably still going to

continue in Brussels, what can the public do to protect themselves?

It's interesting because we all call on the authorities to protect us but

when it comes to aviation and transport hubs, it's what you and I

see immediately and either alert the authorities or, with very big steps,

get behind something solid and get out of the location. Someone who

might have something under their shirt or they are fiddling with

theired hand lug annal, you have to move yourself and then call for help

-- luggage. If you are on a railway carriage and there's nowhere to go,

flat on the carriage is the place to be. It's the nature of terrorism

that we have a city with no trains, no planes, cars limited to where

they can go - that's the nature of terrorism? London ex-expect to -- I

would expect to keep going. In London, the intelligence and the way

they operate, London would keep moving under a similar situation.

Your advice to anyone watching in any European capital is, just stay

vigilant? Yes, and you and I are the first countermeasure to the

terrorists, the authorities come later, we have got to protect

ourselves and our families first. Thank you very much.

Reactions coming in from around the world as the numbers of dead and

injured continue to rise in Brussels. President Obama sent a

message of support to the people of Brussels. He was talking in Havana

where he is on the presidential visit to Cuba.

Thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the people of

Belgium and we stand in solidarity with them in condemning these

outrageous attacks against innocent people. We will do whatever is

necessary to support our friend and allie Belgium in bringing to justice

those who're responsible and this is yet another remind they're the world

must unite. We must be together. Regardless of

nationality or race or faith, in fighting against the scourge of

terrorism. We can and we will defeat those who

threaten the safety and security of people all around the world.

The Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel spoke about the attacks and

condemned what he called blind and cowardly attacks and he called on

people to come together. Our first thoughts are with the victims, with

their families and those who're waiting for information about their

loved ones. Two attacks have happened this morning. One at 7. 10

and the other one at the Met row station Maelbeek and, as we speak,

the crisis centre and because of the security situation, we are trying to

stabilise the situation. Our thoughts are going towards other

locations. The first urgent action is to provide treatment for the

victims, to evacuate the victims of this attack towards various

hospitals and we know that probably we are talking about scores of dead,

scores of injured personals and some of them seriously.

-- persons. The authorities are in fact raising

the threat to level four and additional security measures are

being taken as we speak. Military enforcement is being deployed,

reinforcement of border controls are in action and especially measures

regarding public transport are being put in place now, as we speak.

I would like to tell you, this tragic moment, this black moment in

our country and never before I would like to call on everybody to show

calmness and solidarity. We are facing a challenging time, difficult

challenging time and we should face up to this challenge by being united

and also coming together. We will continue to follow the situation

minute by minute with different Security Services, with different

rescue services. I would like to thank the Security Services for the

work that they have done so far and I would like to tell you once again

how we are determined to face this situation and manage this situation

and to deal with it as best as possible. Let's take you out to the

streets of Brussels from where our Europe editor Katya Adler sent this

report. Brussels is a city on high alert.

Throw expositions have been confirmed as terrorist attacks, two

in the bustling airport of Zaventem and one right in the heart of the

European Union here, the headquarters, at a Metro station

just around the corner from here. Helicopters are circling overhead,

ambulances keep rushing to the scene, at least one carriage we have

heard exploded completely, the number of casualties has not yet

been confirmed officially. This is a huge worry for the people

of Belgium and an embarrassment for the Belgian authorities. To four

days ago they were celebrating, they'd finally captured the most

wanted man linked to the Paris attacks. He told the authorities

he'd been planning attacks in Belgium, no-one guessed they would

happen today and at rush hour where they could strike the most people

possible. Hundreds of travellers were in the

vicinity when the bombs went off at the airport this morning. This is

what some were able to tell us. I just moved away like for one minute,

away from where the explosion happened. I was buying some grub and

bunch of stuff for my kids. I heard the first explosion. You felt the

explosion? I feel, yes and I saw the glass in my sight. I was having my

break, I was inside the building. We heard a loud bang, everything was

shaking. We looks out of the window, there was smoke coming out of the

departure hull. We ran away, we were running very quickly. My colleague

jumped into the carousel behind the check-in desk. After one second, the

second one exploded and this one was really, really loud. I thought I was

hurt, I was hit. And then there were two people who were working at the

airport, they told me just to come inside, they locked the door. People

started panicking, running. The only thing I could think was just dash,

people running to save their lives. There was there was an announcement

that something had gone wrong. The woman's voice was shaken on the

intercrop and that's when I know that we should move -- intercom.

Did you see or hear the explosion? No, but I noticed all the glass, the

smoke, the water dripping from the ceiling. We had to walk through

puddles and we were evacuated. I was waiting for my suitcase and then

somebody said, it's because this is an evacuation. I had my luggage, I

had to leave it and try to run, but the first thing I did, I had to stop

because you don't know where something is, you don't know if

somebody is going to be shooting. When I saw people running, I thought

yes, that's when I realised it was serious. The French Potts, Francois

Hollande, has condemned the attacks, saying the terrorists struck Belgium

but it's Europe that's been targeted and the whole world should be

concerned -- the French Prime Minister.

There have been dozens injured and a number dead.

For the families who are worried about their loved ones, our thoughts

are with them and we share their pain. The terrorists have struck

Belgium but it is Europe which has been targeted. It is the whole world

which is concerned with this. We should take conscience of the

magnitude and the gravity of the threat, terrorist threat. These

attacks follow others. Paris was particularly targeted last year,

last January, and in November. Other continents felt the same pain,

especially in Africa. But we are facing a global threat which

necessitates and requires a global response. France and Belgium are

linked with horror that we are sharing once again and I have

reassured the Belgian Government our support, that we'll provide them

with all the necessary means. But the war against the terrorists

should be carried out throughout Europe, the whole of Europe, using

all the necessary means and especially intelligence information.

You are watching BBC News: To bring you up-to-date with events in the

last few hours in Brussels. At least 31 people are known to have been

killed, many seriously injured in attacks at the Brussels

International Airport and at a Metro station in the heart of the city.

Twin blasts hits the Zaventem Airport at 7am, killing 11 people

and injuring 81, according to Belgium's Health Minister.

It was rush hour at the airport and at the airport there were reports of

shots being fired and shouts in Arabic beforehand. We have brought

you a lot of eyewitness accounts of parts of the ceiling falling down,

pipes ruptured, obviously casualties everywhere, blood everywhere,

operations now going on across the city.

Within hours of that, another explosion at the Mel beak Metro

station. -- Maelbeek Metro station. 20 people killed there at least with

dozens receiving injuries, some of them serious. Belgium raised its

terrorism threat to its highest level response to the threats which

came four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main figure in the Paris attacks

of last November, was seized in Brussels.

The Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michelle, calling the attacks,

blind, violent and cowardly, saying, this is a black day of tragedy, and

he called on everyone to show calmness and solidarity. Through the

hours, we are bringing you as many eyewitness accounts as we can. We

are going live to Brussels now. One member of the European Parliament

who was there was Ian Duncan, a Scottish Euro MP in the European

Parliament building in Brussels this morning when the attacks took place.

Certainly this morning when I set off, it quickly became evident

something terrible happened at the airport. On my way to works, we were

overtaken by emergency vehicles heading out of town to the airport.

When I got into the Parliament, quite quickly it was evident that

there were expositions around the building. The main Parliament Metro

stop, Malbeck, there had been a bomb and so far I understand there are at

least ten fatalities. Quick quite quickly after that, a bomb went off

at the Schuman roundabout, the busiest Metro station area and that

serves the commission building and the UK Government offices and the

Scottish Government offices there. One of my assistants was conducting

a meeting there and heard the explosion. Then another in one of

the other Metro stops. So it quite quickly became necessary to work out

where my team were and make sure that they were safe... Have you been

able to do that? Yes, my team are indeed safe. I have with me two

visitors groups today, a group of students from St Andrews university

and a Conservative women's council are with me today. They were

sight-seeing at the beginning of the day and we had to find out where

they were, get them safe and back to their hotels, they're in their

hotels and we'll work to get them home safely. You can immediately

appreciate that your first thoughts are with those responsible and then

of course I've worked and lived in Brussels for over ten years, I've

got lots of friends here and you have to work that out so it's a very

difficult time for everyone. Of course. We have heard various

comments today saying this is an attack on freedom and democracy and

also an attack on the European Union, is that something that

ulinged agree with as well? -- that you would agree with as well? The

bombs at the airport went off at 8am and the emergency services went

there. Orchestrated debt nations took place an hour later when the

emergency services were furthest away. These were deliberate attempts

to create tragedy. It's an attack on everything that we hold dear. If you

travel to an airport and go to the check-in area, you are surrounded by

families. If you are on a Metro, you are surrounded by people going to

work our tourists. This is the so. Softest of targets you could aim

for. These are not Army bases, combatants, these are you, me,

people travelling to work, softest targets imaginable.

We are witnessing right now what that means. There are issues again

about what level of alert the city should have been on. Of course, the

terrorist suspect was arrested only a few days ago. Nonetheless, this

has been a devastatingly accurate attack on those innocent people.

That's intolerable. What more, in your opinion, needs to be done, to

protect these soft targets, but to retain some of the freedoms that

people enjoy, does the balance need to shift towards much heavier

security at least in the short-term? The balance will shift, I don't

doubt that. I was travelling back from Turkey last week. In order to

enter the airport you had to go to security. Before you went through

security to board the plane. I think that is not far off. These are areas

where you can enter in with no restriction, no hindrance. You can

go in there and that's what happened today. Suicide bombers walked into

an airport with bomb belts and set them off, there was no security that

could have stopped that because there was no security, so I think

there'll be changes there. The way we travel, the way that we engage

with transport will change. The people today who boarded the Metro

did not anticipate what they suffered. That was not expected.

We've lived through that in the UK with the 7/7 attacks, there were the

attacks again on Glasgow Airport, all these attacks remind us that we

are vulnerable and vigilance is our constant companion now, we've got to

be in a situation where we can protect ourselves and we need to be

able to do that in a way that gives us confidence that we can do our job

and travel to work and we are going to change the way we do things, I

don't doubt that. The EU's Foreign Affairs representative has spoken

out about the Brussels attack on a stop in Jordan on her tour in the

Middle East. She spoke about her grief. Very sad day for Europe, as

Europe and its capital are suffering the same pain that this region has

known and knows every single day, being it in Syria or elsewhere. We

are still waiting for more precise news on the dynamics of the attacks

in Brussels though it's quite clear that the route of the pain we are

suffering around our region are very much the same and that we are united

in, not only suffering our victims, but also reacting to these acts and

preventing radicalisation and violence together.

We are hearing from Katya Adler, our Europe editor, that the Belgian

Transport Minister has just announced the main rail stations

will re-open in Brussels at 4 o'clock local time, so in some ten

minutes or so. People have got to get home somehow he's been told and

that is their decision to re-open stations which were closed in the

immediate aftermath of this attack on one of three carriages of this

particular tube train. It was the carriage in the middle that was the

subject of the bombing. That is going to be very difficult

for people in Brussels, some of the stations re-opening that we know

that there are house-to-house searching going on, the security

operations, there are more troops on the streets who've been drafted into

Brussels today. A lot of people from the Members of Parliament, students

and shop workers, they have been told to stay inside. So very

difficult for them to decide what to do after what happened in their

morning rush hour. Concern at the speed at which these

attacks were carried out so soon after the arrest of the main suspect

of the Paris attacks of November which left 130 people did dead.

Salah Abdeslam was arrested at the end of last week and this attack

seen as significance of a -- seen as significance that there's still a

number of those able to carry out these attacks. Earlier we heard from

a Doctor Who is at a hospital where many of the victims have been taken.

Here, we admitted 22 patients since this morning. Two were seriously

injured and had to go to our operating theatre. Four are in a

stable condition without life-threatening injuries but still

in need of urgent care. Then there are some more likely wounded

patients who're psychologically or physically traumatised. The injuries

are mainly burns, they are patients who 're in shock from the explosion

too. The Secretary-General of NATO spoke

earlier. He said the alert state has been increased at the headquarters.

I'm deeply saddened by the attacks here in Brussels this morning. The

heavy human toll is tragic. My thoughts are with those who've lost

their loved ones. With all those affected and with the people of

Belgium. We all stand together with our allie, Belgium, on this dark

day. This is an attack on our values and

our open societies. Terrorism will not defeat democracy and take away

our freedoms. We have decided to increase the alert state at NATO

headquarters. We remain vigilant and continue to monitor the situation

very closely. More breaking news coming from

Brussels and our Europe editor Katya Adler saying three days of official

mourning have been declared in Belgium. You are watching BBC News,

continuing coverage after a series of bomb attacks in the capital of

Brussels targeting the main airport and the Metro station in the city

centre. More than 30 people are reported to have been killed with

dozens more injured. I think the latest figure we had was 187, two

explosions hit the main airport, the first went off in the departures

hall at Brussels International Airport and, as people ran towards

the exit, apparently only five or so seconds later, there was a second

bigger explosion and the authorities say that was probably a suicide

bomber. At least 11 people killed and more

than 30 people injured. Some of them seriously. Local reports saying

shots were fired and there were shouts in Arabic just before the

bomb attack took place. Belgium television's said that at

least one airport bomb contained nails. A lot of details coming from

the scene that we are trying to verify for you. An hour after that

attack, there was another. This time on the Metro right in the heart of

Brussels and close to the European Commission headquarters. At least 20

people are known of died in that attack, more than 100 people were

injured, many with serious injuries. The city has, throughout the day,

been in lockdown, with everyone being told to stay where they are,

although we were just hearing from Katya that the main stations,

Brussels' main stations are due to open in a few minutes. Hundreds of

troops have been deployed on the streets of the Belgian capital. The

Prime Minister condemning the attacks, saying it was a black day

for his country. Security stepped up in key transport locations. The US

embassy in Brussels is recommending Americans stay where they are and

avoid public transportation. US citizens to monitor media reports

and follow the instructions from the authorities and take appropriate

steps to bolster your personal security. You can always go to the

BBC website. We have a live page also bringing you all the latest

developments from Brussels, Paris and reaction in London in political

and security terms here in the UK. You can keep up-to-date there and

we'll have much more for you in the next few hours about the security

response and what is happening in Brussels and elsewhere.

You are watching a BBC News special on the attacks in Brussels this

morning. Hello. You are watching a BBC News

special. At least 34 people killed and dozens injured in a series of

bomb attacks in Brussels. Confusion and chaos, this was the

scene in the departure hall at Brussels airport moments after the

first two explosions. I heard one shot fired then someone

shouted some words in Arabic followed by a huge explosion and

then people started to flee towards the lifts and escalators.

The blasts happened at 8.00am local time as passengers were checking in.

Authorities believe at least one was a suicide bomb.

An hour later, at least 20 people were killed when a third bomb

exploded object a packed downground train. Survivors were helded through

a tunnel to safety. I was in the Metro heading to

Maelbeek. We received a big blast of air. The train stopped. This tragic

moment, this black moment in our country, never before, I would like

to call on everybody to show calmness and solidarity.

This is the scene live in Brussels at the airport. The threat level

across Belgium is now at maximum. The country's Prime Minister has

condemned what he called blind and cowardly attacks.

Welcome to BBC News. There have been a series of bomb attacks in the

Belgium capital Brussels which have left at least 34 people dead and

more than 100 injured. The first attack was at the

international airport around 8.00am local time. The departure hall was

full of queuing passengers when there were two explosions. At least

one of them was a suicide bomber. At least 14 died there. That's

according to the fire service. Then away from the airport in

central Brussels another devastating blast around 9.00am local time. This

time at one of the busiest locations on the underground transport system

at Maelbeek's Metro station. At least 20 more died there and dozens

were injured. Maelbeek was just a few hundred

metres from some of the most important buildings of the European

Union, these devastating explosions come four days after the arrest in a

Brussels suburb of the Paris terror suspect Salah Abdeslam. The Belgian

Prime Minister has called the attacks a dark moment for the

nation. We have heard the transport Minister saying Brussels main

stations are to reopen about now. People, he says, have to get home

somehow. But it's obviously a very fraught situation.

We will go live to Brussels in a moment. First, here is Johnny

Diamond on the morning's attacks. A departure lounge

becomes a war zones. Travellers cower in fear

of further attack. Two bombs had ripped

through the building. And the police ordered

an evacuation. The bombs blew out the windows

and they brought down the ceiling. First we thought it was

a billboard falling down. It was 20 centimetres from me,

it was a big explosion. I thought I was hurt,

I was hit. And then there were two people

working on the airport. They told me to come

inside and they locked the door and behind a little gap,

I saw a soldier putting away a body, I hope he was not dead

and was just hit. Guns at the ready, the army

and the police watch over passengers evacuated from the bombed

airport as the mayhem There was one gunshot

after the first explosion. And one man was speaking Arabic

afterwards and I heard It was, said Belgian's Prime

Minister, a black day. TRANSLATION: Our country

and our citizens have been struck by attacks, blind attacks,

violent and cowardly. And our first thoughts go

to the victims, with their families. Brussels is on the highest

state of alert. The military has

sent reinforcements. Public transport has ceased

in Europe's capital, Europe, says the French Prime

Minister, is at war, than an hour after those blasts at

the airport a third bomb exploded on the underground Metro in the heart

of the city at Maelbeek station close to the European Commission's

main building. Obviously the casualty figures are

changing all the time. At least 20 people died and more than 100 were

injured there. That's according to the latest statement from the mayor

of Brussels. The entire Metronetwork has just -

is remaining shut but we are hearing the main stations in the capital are

reopening to allow people to get home. Here is Christian Fraser.

The screams of a traumatised child emerging from a packed commuter

train in the immediate aftermath of an explosion.

The other passengers set off on foot into a tunnel filled with smoke.

They follow the lights but they do not know

where they are going or what they are walking into.

The bomb had been placed in the middle of a three-carriage train

that was leaving the platform below. Above them at street

level, pandemonium. The metro station is Maelbeek,

just 500 metres from The explosions echoed down tunnels,

so loud commuters in two neighbouring stations thought

they were also under attack. There was a loud muffled

noise, very audible. There was initial panic

but there was so much construction as they build over Brussels

all the time it is hard to discern There was a lot of dust

and smoke almost immediately I was in the metro heading

from Charleroi to Maelbeek. We received a big blast of air

and the train stopped. We had the normal recording

announcements, we have just had an incident, we are trying

to resolve the issue, We waited and smoke

entered the carriages. The bomb went off in a confined

space at the peak of the morning rush-hour, as thousands headed

into work in the diplomatic quarter. As first responders arrived,

the smoke was still billowing from the entrance, these

were the walking wounded, but inside there were horrific

injuries. 20 people are reported killed

and over 50 wounded. Until this point, the Belgian

capital was a hub for jihadis, It is clear now that Salah Abdeslam

was a small cog in a much bigger terrorist industry,

still not fully understood Let's go to the BBC's Chris Morris

outside Maelbeek station. The casualty figures keep going up and

an appalling situation there. Yeah, horrible. Obviously, for many people

in London, for example, memories of the attacks on 7/7, the thought of a

bomb explosion in a packed Metro tram during the morning rush hour,

horrific to think about. Similarly, at the airport, I have been to that

airport many times and you walk in without security until you go

through to the flight side of the airport. You can walk in to the

departures lounge with no security. It's that one thing that will have

to change here? Perhaps it is. The priority at the moment is on two

things. Making sure that anyone wounded is taken to a place of

safety. Secondly, trying to ensure that anyone who may still be seeking

to do harm is apprehended as soon as possible. The Belgian Foreign

Minister has spoken of the possibility of other members of this

terrorist cell still being at large. We saw, of course, after the Paris

attacks it takes a large team of people to organise logistics, to get

hold of weaponry and explosives and so forth. There will still be people

out there who the authorities are extremely keen to arrest. One thing

that many people are thinking about, was this a direct response to the

capture of the Paris terrorism suspect Salah Abdeslam on Friday? If

so, then it's been done extraordinarily quickly. What is

perhaps more likely is that an attack was clearly in the works, the

explosives were there and the weaponry, the people willing to

attack civilian spaces were there. Perhaps they brought that attack

forward once they knew that Salah Abdeslam had been arrested for fear

their cover would be blown. Either way, it shows how many people there

are willing to plan these types of attacks in cities like Paris and

Brussels and how much of a gap in intelligence still needs to be

filled. There's an open question around the figure of Salah Abdeslam

himself, about whether he will co-operate with the authorities. As

you mentioned there, there might be a fear that he could be about to

blow the cover of others. Yeah. That's one of the possibilities why

this attack took place today. There was a cell who feared they may be

uncovered sooner rather than later. They managed to walk into one of

Europe's main international airports. They managed to get on to

a Metro station in the capital of the European Union, the heart of the

European institutions at rush hour. The threat is there. It's a clear

and present danger. That's why the security alert in this city has been

raised to its highest level of four where it was for a few days after

the Paris attacks. Looking around me there are people walking around,

this is not a deserted city. There is a taxi just gone past and other

cars moving. But the Belgian Government crisis centre has urged

businesses and schools to keep people inside. They've said to

people don't go out unless you have to. There is not a sense of panic,

people, as is often the case in these situations, are pretty stoic.

A lot of people feeling I am not going to disrupt normal life because

of these people. Yet, there is an element in which normal life will be

disrupted. There will be extra security. There will be a debate

about whether there will need to be more intrusive intelligence measures

taken to try to combat these terrorist attacks. All of these

things have to be discussed and that's one of the things that

happens in a democratic society when it comes under attack in this way,

how to find the right balance between security and the freedoms

people like to enjoy. A reporter at the political website

Politico was at the airport this morning. First of all, this morning

a grim, a horrible start to the day. Describe what you saw. I got there

at approximately 8. 40am, 40 minutes after allegedly the first two bombs

were exploded. It was initially difficult to get through because the

police weren't allowing reporters to get in. I managed to sneak in. You

could see human - some people had been given blankets, some still had

a lot of blood on their clothes and hands. I interviewed a couple of

people who used to work at the airport and who witnessed the

explosion and I have to say the narratives like what they were

telling was pretty horrifying. Bodies lying all over with no hands,

no legs. One witness I interviewed said he heard a man screaming

something in Arabic and then he heard the second explosion and saw a

couple in front of him who was withdrawing some cash from -

exploding, like the legs of the woman were gone. His hands were full

of blood and he was still completely under shock. I was there for a

couple of hours. No one really knew what was going on, not even police

officers. Then buses started to arrive and they started to bring

people back to the city. They even set up a temporary toilet in a

storage. It was very confusing. A lot of people who had no idea where

to go, what to do. Not much has been confirmed to date, nor from the

Belgian authorities or neither from security sources. It's very unclear

what happened. A horrifying assignment this morning. Then you

went to a Security Council meeting, how would you assess of mood at that

meeting? The meeting has been postponed. It was supposed to start

at 3.00pm and it's been postponed to 5.00pm. I still haven't been there.

The fact that it was postponed by two hours is significant because it

means they don't really know what to say or what to announce

So not to reveal classified details. I'm going to leave it there, Julia.

Thank you very much for your time, talking to us here on BBC News.

We are going to keep you up-to-date here on BBC News for our audiences

here in the UK and around the world. We have a live page on the BBC News

website bringing you the latest updates whether from Brussels,

around Europe or international reaction to these attacks in which

we believe at least 31 people have died and as many as 187 people have

been injured. This is BBC News with a special

coverage of the attacks in Brussels in which authorities believe at

least 34 people were killed, many dozens more injured.

The explosions happened at the International Airport and then at a

Metro station in Brussels. This was the aftermath in the packed

departure store at the airport. There was a second bigger explosion,

authorities say it was probably a suicide bomber, at least ten people

were killed here, dozens more injured. About an hour later, there

was another attack, this time in the Metro in the heart of Brussels close

to the European Commission headquarters. 20 people are known to

have died in that attack with more than 100 others injured. The city

has been in lockdown with everyone being told to stay where they were.

The Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michelle condemned the attacks

saying it was a black day for the country -- Charles Michel.

You can get the updated news online at www.bbc.co.uk/brusselsattacks.

These blasts come just four days after the arrest in Brussels of the

Paris terror suspect, Salah Abdeslam. The authorities believe

last year's attacks in Paris which killed 130 people were largely

planned in Brussels. Also that they knew that a number of other suspects

were still on the run and could be ready to carry out further attacks.

Frank Gardner reports. A co-ordinated terror attack

in the heart of Europe. Belgium was braced for this

but there may still be more to come. The dramatic arrest on Friday

of the jihadist Salah Abdeslam, seen here in white, has led

investigators to a grim conclusion that are more terrorist cells

planning attacks in Europe Najim Laachraoui is one of two known

suspects still at large. The Brussels district of Molenbeek

has acted as a logistics hub for so-called Islamic State

but the group has networks and supporters in every

major European country. I think we are facing

a severe capacity problem. We do not have the security forces

to deal with all these So I think what we need

is a full spectrum response, to address terrorism in a more

preventative way because we cannot Last year's attack on the satirical

French magazine Charlie Hebdo was a wake-up call to both French

and Belgian intelligence agencies. It exposed the huge scale

of Islamic State attack planning in Europe, much of it

centred on Brussels. Belgian's history of terrorism

includes the May 2014 attack on the Jewish Museum

which led four dead. on the Jewish Museum

which left four dead. In 2015, the weapons used

in the Paris attacks The same year, police were fired

on in the town of Verviers and now Belgium does has a particular

problem concerning security, the intelligence agencies do not

share enough information with police meaning attacks like

today can be missed. As Belgium puts its security forces

on maximum alert today, countries like Britain

are offering to help. Belgium's security challenges

are simply too big for it to tackle Anne McElvoy, we have heard so much

from David Cameron, the French President, the Belgian President,

President Obama, all weighing in, all aghast at what is happening. You

get to the point of what leaders do? In the short-term, it is important,

you could say these are warm words and you would expect to hear them

but it's important I think that the world is seen to stand together on

occasions like this and that you get a lot of the usual divisions of

politics that are forgotten. I think however coming so soon after the

Paris attacks, that sense of simply getting up and saying, as we heard

from the French Prime Minister this morning, we are at war against

terrorists, as the public is entitled and likely to say we have

heard this before and where is it getting us. It's not as easy as it

was in some ways. We are almost responding, George Bush's War on

Terror, people could be for or against that, some didn't like that

approach and thought in the end it was counterproductive to use this

language, but more important is really what do you think you can do

across borders and I think that is a global issue, of course it's

Transatlantic but also involves very heavily the EU's relationship with

the outside world and the United States. Often strained in these

matters. That will come under scrutiny. That is where you get to

the big questions about intelligence and intelligence-sharing and data.

How much potential suspects can be tracked and should be tracked in a

European system, an EU system. Exactly. Think about it this way, if

we look broadly at the EU and the US, under an Obama presidency, a

democrat presidency, not under the hawkish George Bush, you still see

clear division which has emerged in this time of terror and the terror

threat globally about how much data you can gather on sit Zibs. In other

words, which of our freedoms means technology can gather more

information about us and can legitimately be gathered. It's a

civil rights issue still. Take Edward Snowden issues, you are right

is to be sheltered from the collectd data. There is another issue which

says data not only needs to be gathered but used more. Who crosses

borders? Are there irregularities in paperwork? To get to those things

does require penetration of data and that's going to put pressure on EU

institutions, many of who have been resistant on that point. You have

that versus liberty or privacy, I suppose. The issues with the migrant

crisis too is borders, and the ease of travel between for example,

France and Brussels? Well, it's always unpleasant and if it gets so

tangled up with the question about the large and the huge wave of

migration because really I think a reasonable person would be wanting

to put out there the idea that migrants are in some way responsible

for this. We quite often don't know who is behind the attacks... I'm

talking about the fact that the conversation... But the question

about mobility of the freedom of movement that great pillar of the

modern EU and what it's stood for will come into question. It's

possible to still want to preserve that but also to want to have more

border checks and controls, they are onerous, not what most of us would

have wanted and some outside London will be thinking, gosh, it's close

to us, I was thinking of popping on the Eurotunnel to go there. They

happen to be northern European cities and that changes our view of

how much paperwork and general hassle we have to put up with at

borders. I expect that will be a lively argument because it's not

easy to say, I want to keep that great freedom of movement principle

intact but at many stages you could be stopped and checked, on what

basis though, Schengen, Schengen plus, UK warrants in Schengen? The

question will be the question of how weapons and explosives were able to

travel across borders because they probably didn't start out in

Belgium. Briefly, David Cameron didn't want to engage understandably

at this point with the political angle but we did see almost

immediately people saying on social media for example, does then

strengthen the case for Britain coming out of the European Union,

it's going to add more fuel? It certainly will. I saw people saying

this is not the day to think about that. But that probably means they

are all thinking about it. I would say you can weigh it up in the

perspective of those who want Brexit, they'll say we could seal

ourselves off in an unspecific way from what is going on and from this.

The other view is that it's powerful and from David Cameron, that this is

the time we have to stand together. We have to understand that we may

need to sharpen up our act of how we deal with these thingses, but we are

better in there making the case than standing aside. I genuinely feel it

can be argued either way and you can maximise security and have concerns

about security whichever side you are on and that has to be borne in

mind. Thank you very much.

President Obama sent a message of support to the people of Brussels,

speaking in Havana, as part of his presidential visit to Cuba.

Thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the people of

Belgium. We stand in solidarity with them in condemning these outrageous

attacks against innocent people. We'll do whatever is necessary to

support our friend and allie Belgium in bring to justice those who're

responsible. This is another reminder that the world must unite.

We must be together regardless of nationality, race or faith, in

fighting against the scourge of terrorism.

We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of

people all around the world. Here in London, the Prime Minister

David Cameron gave his response to the attacks.

These are appalling and savage terrorist

attacks and I have just spoken to the Prime Minister of Belgium

to give our condolences to the Belgian

people and we stand with them at this very difficult time.

These were attacks in Belgium and could just

as well be attacks in Britain, France,

Germany or elsewhere in Europe, and we need to stand together

against these appalling terrorists and make

I have made sure we can offer every support

I have chaired a meeting of Cobra to make

sure that we can do everything we can and there will be increased

security at stations as you would expect.

These are difficult times, appalling terrorists,

but we must stand together to do everything we

can to stop them and to make sure although they attack our way of life

A claim of responsibility is being reported from a news agency that's

afilliated with the so-called Islamic state.

A claim of responsibility for at least two of the bomb attacks in

Brussels. Islamic state fighters carried out a

series of bombings with explosive belts and devices tarting an airport

and Metro station in the centre. This is an agency, covered by