Brussels Explosions BBC News Special

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

Reuters news agency. Let's talk to a journalist in Brussels who was

walking by the Metro station this morning when the explosion happened.

Pick up the story from there, Simon, what happened? Hello there, hi. I

was on my way into work this morning like a lot of other people, just

after 9 o'clock when the explosion took place at the Maelbeek Metro

station situated a few hundred metres from the European

institutions. Immediately, I dashed down there to the entrance. At that

point you could get very close to the entrance. There was no real

police presence and you could see the injured pouring out of one of

the entrances, there was a lot of smoke in the air, a lot of distress,

some people were covered in blood. The paramedics took five, six

minutes to arrive and so in that sort of intermediate period, you had

members of the public helping. There was a nearby hotel which lent towels

and sheets to those who were injured and generally, pretty chaotic scene

down there. This was an hour after the attacks

on the airport. Was there any doubt in your mind as to what this was?

Certainly instantly I realised it was a coordinated attack in some

way. I heard about the airport bombings on the bus. My daughter was

on her way to creche, I took her there, I instantly jumped off TfL

bus thinking it could be a coordinated attack on Brussels. In

terms of what's happened in the city in the last few days, was it a huge

surprise to hear that the Belgian capital itself was under this sort

of attack? Well, yes and no. Obviously, this is

happening in the aftermath of Salah Abdeslam's arrest, he was suspected

organiser of the terrorist attacks in Paris late last year. Terrorism

specialists have said that Belgium, Brussels, is somewhat of a safety

zone for people wanting to carry out Jihad to formulate their plans in

Europe and so simply thought it would never arrive on their

doorstep. However, since the arrest that took place of Salah Abdeslam

last week, the government has been saying that the state is on a high

terror alert and that they were expecting attacks. As the Prime

Minister said earlier in Belgium, what they feared has happened.

How would you assess the mood in Brussels this afternoon? Well, the

streets, I have been around the European institutions all day, the

streets around here are very quiet, all cordoned off. As far as the

public go, I mean, I am yet to venture out but I can only imagine

that there is clearly a lot of shock. It's a country that is well

used to this state of worry around terrorism, ever since the Paris

attacks there's been a fugitive the police have been looking for.

They've had high terror alerts in the past. This is a culmination of

all of that that's resulted in actual death this time. I can only

imagine that going out to public places from now on quite simply

won't be the same again. I am grateful for your time. We are

constantly getting more information about this unfolding story from our

correspondents in Belgium and for the latest we can go to the live

page on our website. Or it's on the smartphone app and

you will find a summary of what's happened so far as well as footage

we have of those attacks in Brussels.

Joining us now on the phone from Brussels is the founder and

chaircome of Sisters against Violent Extremism, a group who helps women

whose relatives are drawn to extremism. She can talk to us about

that. She was in the lobby of a hotel just 50 metres from the Metro

explosion. Thank you for joining us. Tell us did you know immediately

what was happening there? We arrived here in Brussels with our Women

without Borders team to meet mothers who decided to run the programme

against extremism developed and this morning we are off for celebration

ceremony. We were just checking out at the lobby and the air was filled

with noise, with shots and it was - you freeze in that moment and the

smell, you know... The voices, the cries, everything was, you know, an

indicator of what was going on. We tried to get to the exits, to the

back exits because the front they already tried to seal off the front.

Then we decided not to stay in the lobby which filled up with people,

the hotel was already locked, we managed to get out and get away from

the scene. It was kind of surreal, unreal and at the same time, you

know, sad images which seemed to become more and more frequent also

across the area. You are making it your life's work to talk to those

who are tempted by these terror networks. From Brussels where you

are speaking to me, what do you think about the way the security

services are handling this? This is difficult to judge but I am really,

really sure that I think we have to revisit our security concepts and

that we do have to involve those who are closest to the action, those who

are at the battlefield, actually at the front line, these are the family

members, the mothers, the sisters, the peers of those who are at the

brink and finally decide to leave for the caliphate and leave

everything behind, children, schools, normalcy and swap our model

of our ideals of freedom, democracy, rule of law, for the fantasy of the

caliphate. This is a wake-up call for us. What we see now is

consequence of our, I say sadly, inaction. We have to bring these

people to the forefront. We have to be connected with them. Yesterday

afternoon we spent all afternoon - one of the suburbs of Brussels and

talked to a group of young Belgians who insisted there are always

questions, where are you really from? Oh, Algeria, you are not

really one of us. They were upset. They are the friends and peers of

those who travel to Syria and they did not go. We must - these are our

security allies. It is the case, as you would acknowledge, people like

Salah Abdeslam and his colleagues are surviving, are being sheltered

by people around them in the heart of Brussels. It is up to those

people around them as well to be able to alert the authorities.

Absolutely. This is actually our work in these meetings that we work

with the mothers to build up the confidence and also the skills that

they speak out when they see something is wrong, they relate to

children, that there be empathy, they don't already feel they are on

their own. No, they have to accompany them and if they witness

something that is not quite right that they step up and go out and

look for support. But this is a lot of tough building and this is the

hard work. That's the difficulty, just finally, we are talking, we

hear from leaders talking about being at war, needing to crack down

and you are talking about building trust. Yes, absolutely. I think when

we say, and we just heard it on the news, this is an ongoing battle. I

think we have to start much earlier. This is an ongoing battle out in the

streets now in Belgium and sadly we have seen it in Paris, seen it in

many places, in London. The battle starts much earlier. We have to push

back and we have to bring those on board who are so close to us, to the

families we have to go there where they are, to their communities, to

their families and actually, even - where he came from he was hiding

there, a few hundred metres from his mother's house. We need to remind

where they belong to and not give up on them. We need to do that early.

The chairwoman of Sisters Against Violent Extremism, thank you for

joining us. We can cross to our colleague for an update.

Thank you very much. Before we look back over the events

of the past few hours let me bring you up to date with potentially

significant statement coming from the news agency run by the Islamic

State group. This is the BBC breaking Twitter feed telling us

that Islamic State claims responsibility for these Brussels

attacks in statements issued via Amaq news agency. It's impossible to

say one way or the other whether these claims of responsibility are

correct, but this Amaq news agency does not have a track record of

releasing statements from Islamic State which intelligence then

completely undermines. So this certainly is to be taken seriously.

The Islamic State group via its Amaq news agency releasing a statement

claiming responsibility for the attacks that we have seen in

Brussels today. Of course, if that's the case, it does what many were

suspecting, it connects what's happening in Brussels with what

happened in Paris at the end of last year.

Let's bring ourselves up to date with how events unfolded over the

past few hours. The first we heard here in the BBC Newsroom came in the

form of a short piece of copy from the Reuters news agency quoting

local media in Belgium telling us that two explosions had been heard

at Brussels airport. The cause was unclear.

At the same time, this was coming in to the newsroom, multiple messages

posted on social media confirming the same thing.

In fact, the explosions had taken place 18 minutes before that copy

was filed at 8.00am local time in Belgium. While the emergency

services tried to reach those injured, at the airport, in the

centre of town, there was another explosion at Maelbeek Metro station

in the middle of the city. First of all, let's concentrate on those two

explosions that took place at Zaventem Airport. The main airport

in Brussels, over 20 million people use it every year. So far, the

authorities are saying at least 11 people lost their lives there. 81

were wounded. We can look in more detail at where these explosions

went off. The first was by the check-in desks. An area which any

member of the public would be able to access without going through any

security checks. The second explosion took place next to a

nearby Starbucks cafe. Ever since those two explosions happened, video

and pictures have been coming in to the newsroom as you would expect.

Some from news agencies, some posted on social media, some from the BBC's

own journalists. For instance, this is a video that was shot in the

immediate aftermath at the airport. You can see the smoke, the debris,

people running, shouting and crying. Unfortunately, in more graphic parts

of that video you can see bodies lying on the floor which aren't

moving. These pictures were filmed by a

separate person, a man who passed them on to journalists. All these

black rectangles on the floor are roofing tiles that were pushed to

the floor by the power of the explosion. Again, it gives you an

idea of the scale of the destruction that these two devices brought to

this part of Brussels airport. Not long after the moments those were

taken, this is outside the terminal now. Emergency services arriving all

the time. Huge numbers of fire engines and ambulances, as would

imagine. In these pictures you can really only see emergency services

because they had taken control of this area. These are other pictures

showing what you would expect. Hundreds and hundreds of people

trying to get away from the terminal as quickly as possible. Being given

some information by the authorities, although the situation was

incredibly fluid at the beginning and as such many people were left

standing and waiting for instruction for sometime before they were able

to move on. Some of those who were at the

airport, particularly those who weren't sure where they were

supposed to go in the minutes that followed, were prepared to speak to

local media. I was having my break. I was inside the building. We just

heard a loud bang. Everything was shaking. We looked outside the

window. There was smoke coming out of the departure hall. I thought I

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

airport. They told me to come inside. They locked the door. People

started panicking and running. The only thing I was seeing was dust in

the air. People running to save their lives. There were some

announcements, clearly something had gone wrong. The woman's voice was

like quite shaken on the intercom and that's when I know we should

move. That's what was happening at the

airport in Brussels. Before we go I want to talk about the Metro

station. A significant development in the last few minutes. Islamic

State group's own news agency, it's called Amaq, has released a

statement by IS claiming responsibility for what's happened

in Brussels. We have looked at the airport. Let's

look at what played out in Maelbeek Metro station. Much more central,

about 11 kilometres away from the airport. A train had just left

Maelbeek station when a bomb exploded. We understand at least 20

people died, over 100 were injured. This is 350 metres from the European

headquarters. We have marked significant buildings, the

Commission, the Council of the European Union, the Parliament, all

within easy walking distance of where this explosion happened. There

were many different stills being shared online. This is one of people

working their way down through the tracks in the darkness

is lots of video. Let's look at some of that. First of all, this was shot

from the tracks in the tunnel as people were being helped out of one

of the carriages. They're stepping down into the darkness and being led

away. In the background people are shouting and crying. That was filmed

by one passenger called Evan who shared the pictures. You can

probably see it's busy, because this is rush hour. As you would expect, a

central Brussels train would be. These pictures show the outside of

the station. The scale of the explosion means that the smoke

generated worked all the way through the station and out through the

entrance and obviously you can see people looking concerned and trying

to get information on what was happening.

Emergency services were arriving within a few minutes. These are

pictures taken outside the station and immediately people were being

treated there and then on the pavement and been given urgent

medical assistance and the police providing information which in the

early stages was please stay away and let us get on with our work.

Some people were comforted but really the focus was primarily on

getting immediate treatment to the significant number of people who

were injured. The last pictures were again people being treated but a

problem for the fire engines, they were trying to get to this station

but it was a busy time of the morning so it took some a while to

get through the traffic and get to where they wanted to be. As you

would imagine the BBC's a number of journalists working on this story

across the city. You will see them here on BBC television and the news

app and you can get them on social media. This is one forensics van

going through the police cordon and into the area.

Anna is worth following. She's updating as she is reporting. Some

caught up in the attack at the Metro station have been describing their

experiences. We felt a small blast of air and we

heard some thudding in the distance, the Metro immediately stopped and

the lights turned off, the engine turned off and a message came over

the intercom saying there had been a disturbance on the line, that

continued for a few minutes, people were obviously nervous. I think a

lot of people like myself had been reading about the explosion of

Brussels Airport and they were on their way to work. The woman who

worked for the rail service said there had been an explosion and her

colleague followed and I asked him where it was and he said Maelbeek.

They turned off the electricity on the line, we were evacuated and we

walked out the back of the carriage. There have been a broad range of

condemnations from word leaders. Let's start by hearing from the

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel:

Belgium and France are brought closer together, so not surprising

to hear the French Prime Minister use very strong language.

Anna holt began -- I was mentioning Anna Holligan, Chris Morris is our

Belgian correspondent, he says a security operation is going on and

the fear is there may be further attacks. Simon mentioned a few

minutes ago, you can follow this story through any point on the BBC's

live page. The news app or website have this.

Colleagues in the newsroom pulling together all the latest information

on the live pages updating for your. The Belgian Prime Minister spoke a

short time ago condemning what he called blind, cowardly attacks and

said people need 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, the other at the Met row station Maelbeek and, as

we speak, the crisis centre because of security situation, we are trying

to stabilise the situation -- Metro Centre. 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 persons and some of them

seriously injured. The authorities are evaluating the

threat and raised it to the level four and additional security

measures are being taken as we speak. Military enforcement is being

deployed. Reinforcement of our 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 type

of tragic moment, this black moment in our country, 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, solitary and also coming

together. We'll continue to follow the situation minute by minute with

different Security Services, with different rescue services. I would

like the 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. The French President, Francois

Hollande, has condemned the attacks, saying Belgium has been struck but

it's Europe that's been target and the whole world should be concerned.

Jay attacks have been perpetrated which left a number of dead and

dozens of injured. I would like the families who're

worried about their loved ones, our thoughts are with them.

The terrorists have struck Belgium, but it's Europe which has been

targeted, it's the whole world which is concerned with this. We should

take conscience of the magnitude and gravity of the threat, terrorist

threat. These attacks follow others. Paris was particularly targeted last

year, last January and in November. Other continents suffer 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. I have reassured

the Belgian government of our full support that we are providing 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.

With me now is the managing director of a global security and risk firm

for governments and multinationals. Thank you for coming in. I think you

flew through Brussels last week. What assessment would you have of

the security that was in place? Look, being paranoid as I am, when

walking into the terminal, I felt very unsafe and probably a soft

target, especially in the light of all the threats that Belgium has

weathered. The same goes with the Metro that I was taking, there was

no security and we know that the transport system has been time and

time again attacked by terrorists. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Where, which airports in the world, do you suggest have the right sort

of security that might have preevened something like this? Look,

Moscow and Tel Aviv are two good airports because they have metal

detectors even before you get into the terminal. That should be looked

at by a lot of airports. Most probably what is telling is the fact

that after getting some in test l, the Belgian authorities didn't raise

the terror alert after they arrested Salah Abdeslam on Thursday, they

should have raised it to level four. We were hearing there's been a claim

by Islamic state that they carried out today's attack, to great

surprise in that? Not at all. Most likely this attack today was pushed

forward because of Salah Abdeslam's arrest. He may have talked to

Security Services and they were concerned that they would be on to

them, so it's a suggestion that they could have moved up their attacks.

And move them very quickly after his arrest. Now, what does that suggest

to you in terms of the numbers of terrorists there are who're able to

carry out these attacks? You are totally correct. We are talking

about potentially 30 Jihadists. 30? Yes, 30, in Brussels that could be

targeting and Security Services have warned about the problem and how

over extended they are to tackle the threat.

We are just hearing and we were just talking about security at the

airport, there is a news conference going on with the head of airport

security in Belgium, let's hear what he has to say.

While we establish the sound with that, Olivier, it's a difficult

balance isn't it? Security and yet also making sure people can travel

relatively free of hassle? Yes. That has been the problem. But, the way

to do it is either you get human intelligence to the level that we

should have and that we had ten years ago, 15 years ago, and that we

can protect people in the best way, shape or form, or people will have

to curtail some of their freedoms and, after the Paris attacks, 80% of

the French people were ready to curtail some of their freedoms in

the name of security. Are you surprised, given the attention

there's been on Brussels recently, after the attacks in Paris, that a

city which was seen as a hub, a centre of the very Jihadists who

were carrying out these attack, the city has become a target? Yes and no

because at some point you have to remember that the first Jihadi

attacks from a returning from Iraq and Syria happened in Brussels. I

think we can now hear the translator.

This morning at 8am, two bombs went off in the departure hall.

There were several killed, ten, 11 killed and there were others

injured. We'd like to thank all those who have worked consistently

to help those in need. Particularly helping all those passengers who

were there at the time. The airport has been closed since this morning

following the attack. All flights have been cancelled. We hope to

start off operations the day after tomorrow.

We'll allow a few questions, not too many.

Some questions being taken there. I want to pick up on that, he's saying

the airport will re-open on Thursday. What needs to have

changed, in your view, at the airport, by then? Look, obviously

they are not going to be able to install metal detectors by Thursday,

but there'll have to be a plan to basically make the terminal safe

from outside people that do not have a ticket as well. We don't know yet

if the perpetrators had tickets too fly somewhere, but that will save a

little bit of hassle for the airport.

And in terms of the city of Brussels itself, what will we see on the

streets now? Hindsight is wonderful, but do things need to change?

Look, unfortunately, on the streets, the Belgians have done whatever they

could do because you have the Army patrolling all over and it looks

like a war zone since December, so there's not much that they can do.

What they can do is really implement the train station, the security on

the train station that is still lack major basic security. Thank you very

much. You are watching a BBC News special.

At least 31 people have been killed and dozens injured, many seriously,

in a series of bomb attacks in Brussels.

There has been panic and confusion in large parts of the Belgian

capital. The departure hall at Brussels airport the scene of two

explosions at just after oat.00am this morning. That happened --

8.00am this morning. That happened as passengers were checking in.

Authorities believe at least one of the explosion at thes airport was a

suicide bomb. We have just heard from the man who is in charge of

security at the airport. He said that ten or 11 people have been

killed at the airport. You are watching a BBC News special.

At least 31 people have been killed and dozens injured, some seriously,

in a series of bomb attacks in Brussels.

Panic and confusion, this is the scene in the departure hall at

Brussels airport moments after the first two explosions.

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

followed by a huge ex-police station and then people started to flee

towards the lifts and escalators. -- a huge explosion. The blasts

happened as passengers were checking in. They killed ten or 11 people.

Authorities believe at least one blast was a suicide bomb.

An hour later, 20 people were killed when a third bomb exploded on a

packed underground train. Survivors were helped through a tunnel to

safety. I was in the Metro heading to

Maelbeek. We received a big blast of air and the train stopped. The

so-called Islamic State is reported to have claimed responsibility for

the blasts. The Belgian Prime Minister has condemned the attacks.

This tragic moment, this black moment in our country, I would like

to call on everybody to show calmness and and solidarity.

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

which have left at least 31 people dead and more than 100 injured.

Within the past hour, a news agency thought to have links with the

so-called Islamic State has said the group is claiming responsibility for

the attack. The first explosions were at the

international airport at around 8.00am local time. The hall was full

of queuing passengers when there were two blasts at least one of them

was a suicide bomber. At least 11 people died here. Then, away from

the airport, in central Brussels, another blast about 9.00am local

time. This time at one of the busiest locations on the underground

transport system at Maelbeek Metro station. The city's mayor says 20

more people died there and dozens injured. Maelbeek is just a few

hundred metres away from some of the most important buildings of the

European Union. The 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 can go now to Brussels and to our colleague there.

Thank you very much. I have just walked through the centre of

Brussels. The heart of the European institutions in what is the sort of

administerive capital of the European Union. I can tell you it is

the most extraordinary eerie and sombre atmosphere. There are armed

troops on the streets, armed police, as well. Not many people and not

much traffic. This city has been in virtual lockdown since early this

morning. It's just beginning to change. We have heard that two of

the Metro lines are about to reopen. Essentially, this is a city that is

in full security emergency mode. As you say, it is now known that at

least 31 people died in the attacks at the airport and at the Metro

station, which just behind these buildings, in the centre of

Brussels, that Metro attack took place around 9.00am this morning,

the airport attack. Two explosions at the airport. That took place at

8.00am. We can bring you the latest pictures widely shown on Belgian

media right now. That's a grainy image of three individuals seen at

the airport who are believed to have been the men behind the attack at

Zaventem airport. That is not officially confirmed but it's widely

reported right now on Belgian media sources. It's been an extraordinary

complicated day but in essence the events started with the attack at

the airport. We have been following it hour by hour here in Brussels.

Our reporter Johnny Diamond has compiled this report piecing

together what has happened here. A departure lounge

becomes a war zones. Travellers cower in fear

of further attack. Two bombs had ripped

through the building. 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 he 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 Belgium'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, flights suspended,

the Eurostar halted. Europe, says the French Prime

Minister, is at war, The emergency here is very apparent

on the streets. We have just had a motorcade of police ride by us here

in the centre of Brussels. In fact, right here this is the building, the

headquarters of the European Commission just over there. That's

the Council of Europe headquarters. We are really at the heart of

Europe. The Metro attack took place a couple of hundred metres down

there. So, the terrorists who launched this attack were quite

aware they were striking at the very heart of the European Union, as well

as, of course, the capital city of Belgium. To give you a little bit

more information about what's happening, the airport, of course,

Zaventem International Airport, completely closed down right now. We

understand there is no way there are going to be any flights in or out of

Zaventem Airport until tomorrow morning at the earliest. The trains

are completely closed down here in Brussels. There are indications that

the Metro system, at least two lines of the Metro are about to open, if

they're not running already. There is traffic on the streets. When I

was walking about an hour ago there were hardly any cars around but

there are cars beginning to use the streets and certainly people are

beginning to leave work and many of them are walking because public

transport, the public buses are not operating normally, of course. It's

a very strange atmosphere here. I suppose for the next report we ought

to focus on the attack which appears to have killed the most people, 20

believed to have been killed in the Maelbeek Metro attack. As I keep

saying, it's extraordinary just how close to the European institutions

the Maelbeek attack was. The events at Maelbeek and the bloody scenes

they're reported on now by 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

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 me now bring you the very latest we are getting from the airport. The

airport attack which started this episode at 8.00am local time. The

authorities have confirmed they found a third explosive device, some

sort of a bomb, which they have detonated in a controlled explosion

themselves. There was a third bomb at the airport. We have also heard

multiple reports suggesting that at least one Kalashnikov automatic

rifle was found at the airport. Some reports suggest a suicide belt was

also found at the airport. It's clear from reports and from some

injuries that have been brought in to Brussels hospitals that nails had

been placed in at least one of the two bombs that went off inside the

departure hall at the airport. This clearly was an attack which was in

terms of the people who launched it very carefully planned to cause

maximum casualties, maximum damage. That is the latest on the airport. I

am going to bring in our Europe correspondent Chris Morris who has

been following this story through the day. I want to mention something

that Christian Fraser reported on, that is the degree to which we know

Brussels has been a centre of an So-called Isis terror network, I

wonder how you see that being linked to today? Across Europe security

officials have been bracing themselves for another attack in the

last few months. It's always a tremendous unsettling shock when it

actually happens. Is it a surprise it's here in Brussels? Probably not.

Don't forget it's four days since Salah Abdeslam, the main surviving

suspect from the Paris attacks last year, was arrested here in Brussels.

A couple of miles away from here. Was this a revenge, if you like, in

response to that arrest? A lot of security officials are saying it was

probably too soon to organise an attack like this simply in response

to that. But there may well have been an attack in the works which

was speeded up then by a terrorist cell who feared this arrest could

blow their cover. I think either way you look at the fact they had

weapons, they had explosives, they had the people in place ready to do

this. It shows how much planning had already taken place and how big the

intelligence gaps still are in many places, including Brussels, about

what confronts them. That phrase intelligence gaps is something that

is really in my mind today. We know that both Belgian intelligence and

police services and French authorities have been so focussed on

Brussels, particularly the nand neighbourhood of Molenbeek where

Salah Abdeslam and others had their operational headquarters, it seems

extraordinary that there appears to have been so little intelligence

penetration of the networks here in Brussels. It's a real problem. It's

a problem that was discussed in detail after the Paris attacks, the

lack of co-ordination between different levels of security at

different levels of Government in Belgium. A key is co-operation

between different EU countries. We just had a statement issued by all

28 EU leaders which says, unsurprisingly, this is an attack on

our open democratic societies and we will redouble our efforts, this

strengthens our resolve to protect those values. They need to make sure

that different countries share intelligence in the best way. There

are certainly very strong suggestions that didn't happen in

advance of the Paris attacks. We don't know yet whether there could

have been a way to prevent this. It's difficult. You have been

through Brussels airport many times, so have I, I go on the Metro every

day. There isn't security at every door and every gate. There isn't. A

lot of people are asking is, is Belgium-- and Europe going to have

to rethink the way it approaches security around key bits of public

infrastructure and buildings like the one behind you, the Commission

headquarters here? One of the things people always say after terrorist

attacks is we shouldn't let these people change our way of life. In

some ways the way of life will have to change, if there have to be more

security checks, a debate about perhaps more intrusive means of

gathering intelligence. That's been a debate that's already started

since the Paris attacks at the end of the year and the attack on

Charlie Hebdo. The French said World -- said Europe is in war. You are

talking about the military on streets. The camera can't show it

but next to us there are two heavily armed soldiers. Is that something we

now need to start regarding as normal?

It is perhaps the new normal. The police have been around here, around

the EU institutions and the main shopping areas for the last few

months. When it first happened it was a bit of a shock. There are guys

in khaki, members of the full-time military, you get used to it quickly

and even today, when I was cycling in because there was no transport to

get in on, a sense of stoicism, we are going to get on with things but

you can't deny you have to get on with things in the context when some

things change. Thank you so much for joining me here in Brussels.

S Trying to piece together all of the detail of what's happened

through the day. We brought you a report about the subway, the Metro

attack which happened around 9am local time this morning, but really

this sorry and horrible episode here in Brussels began an hour earlier.

That was at Zaventem International Airport where, as people were

gathering to make their flights across Europe and the world this

morning, they're coming to the departure hall then chaos reined as

two blasts rocked that departure hall. Ben Brown has gone to Zaventem

and I believe we can join him now. Over to you. We have had a briefing

from an airport official saying the death toll from the airport is ten

or 11 but also we are hearing that news that a third device was

exploded in a controlled explosion by the Security Forces here so there

was a third device and also a Kalashnikov assault rifle was found

at the scene as well. Many injured as well. We are a few

hundred metres from the airport and the death toll is ten or 11. The

death toll at the Metro, at least 20 there, so more than 30 all together.

The Belgian Prime Minister's been talking saying this was a blind,

violent and cowardly attack, this is a day of tragedy and a black day, he

said, and he called for Belgium citizens across the country to show

calmness and solidarity. Let's hear from some eyewitnesses from here and

from the Metro. I moved away for one minute, away from the explosion. I

was grabbing a bunch of stuff for my kids. I heard the first explosion.

You felt the explosion? I feel yes and I put my hands on my face. I was

having my break. I was inside. We just heard a loud bang, everything

was shaking. We looked outside the window, there was smoke from the

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

colleague jumped into the carousel behind the check-in desk. Just after

the first one, the second one exploded, it was really, really

loud. I thought I was hurt, I was hit, and then there were two people

working at the airport, they told me to come inside and lock the door.

People were running to save their lives. There was some announcement,

clearly something had gone wrong. There were men's -- the woman's

voice was shaken on the intercom, then that's when I knew we should

move. Did you see or hear the explosion? No. But I noticed stuff,

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

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

somebody said over a loudspeaker, this is an evacuation. I had to

leave my luggage and leave everything and try to run. The first

thing I did, I had to stop because you don't know after the explosion

if somebody was going to start shooting. When I saw people running,

I said yes and realised this is serious.

Terrifying accounts there of what happened as the explosion ripped

through the airport. We heard if some witnesses here at the airport

that when the first explosion went off, they ran and they ran straight

in the direction of the second explosion. Now it appears there was

a third device as well, so the carnage could have been even

greater. The Security Forces managed to find that. More than 30 dead all

together from today's attacks, but many more injured as well. Dozens of

casualties being taken to a number of hospitals in Brussels. Simon

McCoy's been speaking to a doctor from Brussels. Different type of

problem for the patient but I would like to say that only two of the

patients are actually in the intensive care unit. Around 9am this

morning, we were told to be ready with a crisis team up and running

and with a contingency plan which was freeing up the operating room

and clearing the space. We had enough space in the intensive care

for both the people that needed it. We were shocked. Even though we knew

it was possible to have these types of attacks, it's always a shock. To

have this type of event. At the same time, our first mission is to give

the best care for the patient and to focus on the victims as soon as

possible. That was at the hospital where many

of the casualties have been taken. Belgian media have been showing

pictures of three suspects from the airport. I have to say, these

pictures are not verified, but according to Belgium media, these

are the three suspects own their way to carry out the attacks at the

airport here in Brussels and the one on the right, we are hearing from

Belgium media, is still missing. The other two, it's believed detonated

and were killed. At least one blew himself up it's reported, and the

other is dead as well. But another, a third one, still missing. So

that's the latest we are hearing from here at the airport.

Interesting that all this after the arrest last Friday of Salah

Abdeslam, the 26-year-old suspect wanted in connection with the Paris

attacks back in November that left 130 dead. I covered the arrest of

Salah Abdeslam here in Brussels last Friday. There is some speculation

that perhaps today's attacks so soon after that arrest were either in

revenge for that arrest or it seems possible for fear amongst other

terrorists that he, Salah Abdeslam, was about to blow the names of some

of his colleagues here in Brussels who were about to embark on other

terror attacks. There was some speculation that Salah Abdeslam was

going to talk and was already under interrogation, as he awaited

extradition back to France in connection with the attacks in

Paris, that he was going to talk to his interrogators and perhaps the

give the names of some of his accomplices in Brussels. That's all

speculation at the moment but clearly the timing of today's attack

so soon after his arrest last Friday. It does give you pause to

think perhaps there is a connection. That's the latest from here at the

airport. Back to you. Thank you very much. What is not

speculation is that there is a massive security operation taking

place in this city as early evening draws in. Still huge numbers of

armed police and soldiers as well on the streets. I think it's fair to

say that there will be a great deal of focus upon the Molenbeek

neighbourhood where Salah Abdeslam was picked up and where it's known

that other followers of so-called Islamic state or Daesh had their

base here in the Belgian capital. Intelligence work will be continuing

hour-by-hour here in the city as they try desperately to find the

network which was behind the person freighters of today's attacks and

try their very best to prevent any future attacks -- perpetrators. On

that point about European cooperation and fears of future

attacks, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, she's been talking in

the last few minutes, saying her government would work very closely

with Belgium, the Belgian authorities to "find and punish

those responsible for these attacks" here in Brussels today. So I think

we brought you pretty much the latest from the Belgian capital and,

for now, back to you in the studio. Thank you very much.

A few lines coming out from London. We are hearing from the Home

Secretary, Theresa May, who said that, we stand together against

terrorists, they will not win, she said, and she reminded us that the

UK threat level remains at severe but people should be alert and not

alarmed. James Landale, our deputy Political Editor says the Foreign

Office is changing, expecting to change travel advice to warn people

against all but essential travel to Brussels. Whitehall officials are

meeting this afternoon and Number Ten says Belgium has accepted David

Cameron's offer of UK police help in investigating these atrocities this

morning. On the theme of travel advice, we

are hearing the United States is expected to tighten airport

security. We are expecting from the Obama administration an announcement

later in the day about new measures to tighten security at US airports.

That'll obviously have a knock-on effect on flight security, on

potential flight delays for all those involved in international

travel in the next few days. The blasts come four days after the

arrests in Brussels of the Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam. The

authorities believe last year's attacks in Paris which killed 130

people were largely planned in Brussels. They also knew a number of

other suspects were still 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 there 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.

Belgium's history of terrorism includes the May 2014 attack

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 have a particular problem concerning security,

the intelligence agencies do not share enough information with police

meaning attacks like today can be missed.

Meaning vital clues like today's one could 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

The Belgian flag is now flying in Downing Street. We can go to

Westminster now to talk to a senior fellow at the International Centre

for the Study of Radicalisation at the King's College in London. Your

thoughts about what Frank was saying there, how quickly these attacks got

under way and were put into action given it's four days since the

arrest of Salah Abdeslam? I think it would be incorrect to see these

attacks as a direct response to the arrest of Salah Abdeslam on Friday,

given the nature of the attack, given the numerous bombs that were

involved and the several different sites they took place across, it

suggests there was a degree of planning and sophistication to this.

So, I think it would be quite incomprehensible for this to have

been pulled off from scratch in the last three days and that in a sense

is more worrying for the Belgians because it means that there are

other cells out there that have clearly been planning their own

atrocities and who may have possibly speeded up attacks as a result of

the arrest last Friday. We had heard from Belgian security sources fears

there might have been as many as 30 linked in a network in Brussels with

attacks in preparation as he was arrested on Friday. Absolutely. That

is what makes it so alarming. It took them something like four months

to get to Salah Abdeslam after the Paris attacks. Here he was hiding

out in the Belgian capital. In that sense, the Belgian and it's been

said by some in the previous packages, that the intelligence

services in Belgium need to work more closely with the police but

also across Europe as a whole, we need to get better at sharing

intelligence and co-operating because this is a threat that faces

Europe as a whole, it's a pan-European problem and as a result

of that the intelligence agencies will need to be much better in terms

of linking up and sharing what they know in order to add to our

collective security. We have heard a lot about the need for better

intelligence co-ordination. We have also heard a lot about European

values and democratic values and you come again to the issue of transport

hubs being soft targets in their very nature in these states. These

are always going to be attractive targets for terrorists and we have

seen that for a number of years now from the post-9/11 climate, we had

our own dayings -- wur own attacks in London and in Madrid. Anywhere

you have people gathering like this, unfortunately they're going to be

targeted precisely because they're difficult to secure when you have

tens of thousands of people passing through on a daily basis, it's

practically impossible to have a completely effective system that

safeguards everyone and so as I come back to the point I was making,

these are in many cases individuals who had a known history. This is not

as it were clean skins, people who have come out of nowhere. They've

tended to have associations with networks, with a radical activism in

the past and we need to become better at monitoring these

individuals and what they're up to. Perhaps monitoring them especially

in Belgium where there are so many youth known to have been

radicalised, when you compare Belgium even to other European

countries? Absolutely. We have been gathering data on the flow of

foreign fighters from Europe going in to the Syrian conflict. There is

probably something like now maybe up to about 5,000 individuals who have

gone over and when you take those numbers and break them down by

country and weight those pms per capita, you see Belgium has the

highest number of foreign fighters of any European country. It has more

than about 100 people that went from the capital alone and therefore you

are looking at a high concentration in a relatively small space and that

again makes it something that we need to be very concerned about and

have a lot of insight into. Earlier on BBC News I was talking to an

economist and she said there is going to be a debate about

data-sharing in Europe, about how much data can be mined when you

think about people's concerns about privacy, about the security of their

devices. There is a similar debate going on in America. Do you think

there is going to be that wider debate now about how much security

services can get access to in Europe? I think that's a debate that

we have seen playing out over the last few years. We have seen it

again pointedly in the United States over the San Bernardinho attacks.

This is going to come back to public discussion. It's right for the

public to have that debate. As a society we need that dialogue with

politicians and the intelligence services about how much we are

prepared to give up in order to allow them to operate in the way

they would like to. These are big societal issues for us as a whole to

look into and I would dare say that debate will now be reinvigorated in

light of these attacks. Thank you for your time.

Let's bring ourselves up to date with the events crossing live to our

colleague. Thank you very much indeed. Let's

begin with the story that came through over an hour ago. BBC

breaking, it's been sharing on Twitter, it concerns who may have

carried out this attack in Brussels. The Islamic State group is claiming

responsibility via a statement that's been issued through the Amaq

news agency. This is Is's own news agency. It has a long track record

of being completely correct in the statements that it shares and the

reports it carries. It's really part of Islamic State. So a significant

development there with the Is news agency carrying a statement claiming

responsibility. Let's look at what it's claiming responsibility for.

The first details we started to get of something happening came from the

airport in Brussels. Reuters carried a short news wire here. Two

explosions heard at Brussels airport, cause unclear, quoting

local media. Statement as this there were multiple messages posted on

social media saying exactly the same thing. It was established that two

explosions took place at a few minutes before that news wire,

8.00am local time in Belgium. It was here in Zaventem Airport. Emergency

services tried to reach those who were injured. An hour later in the

centre of town at Maelbeek Metro station in central Brussels there

was another explosion. First of all, let's concentrate on the airport

itself. The main airport for Brussels. So far, the authorities

are saying that 11 people lost their lives there, 81 were wounded. This

diagram will help us understand what happened. The first explosion near

the check-in desks and a second close to a Starbucks. In the last

few minutes the authorities have released this security camera still

which they say constains three men who are considered to be suspects by

the police. -- it's not known if they are still alive. A huge amount

of information coming in, video and pictures of what was happening. This

is one video of the immediate aftermath inside the terminal with

smoke and you can hear people shouting and crying. Some people are

lying on the floor injured. This is a separate video which was also

shared. All of these black tiles on the floor have come from the roof

which gives you an idea of the scale of this explosion. Not long

afterwards, as you would imagine, emergency services were arriving.

Many ambulances and fire engines on the scene. At the same time as that,

there were also lots of people trying to get away from the terminal

as quickly as possible. Some of them were being directed by the police.

Others were left waiting for instruction for a few minutes in the

aftermath of the attack. As some of those people were coming out of the

airport they spoke to journalists who were gathering. This is what

they told them. I was having my break. I was inside the building. We

just heard a loud bang, everything was shaking. We looked outside the

window. There was smoke coming out of the departure hall. I thought I

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

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

started panicking and running. The only thing I was seeing was just

dust in the air. People running to save their lives. There were some

announcements. Clearly, something had gone wrong. The woman's voice

was quite shaken on the intercom and that's when I know we should move.

While this was happening at the airport, 11 kilometres away in the

centre of town another explosion had taken place at Maelbeek Metro. This

is right in the centre of Brussels. The train had just left the station

when a bomb exploded. We understand at least 20 people lost their lives

there. Over 100 were injured. This map gives you an idea of how central

this is. Very easy walking distance from the European Commission, the

Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

This also happened four kilometres away from the part of Brussels which

we were focussing on on Friday. The man that was wanted in connection

with the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was arrested - injured and

arrested, in an area called Molenbeek which has long been

associated with radical Islam. Let me bring up this image. This is one

of the stills shared of the aftermath in the tunnel of that

explosion on the Metro. We have also got video of the aftermath of that

incident. Very dark, as you would expect, with people helped to step

out of the train carriage after the train had come to a standstill. We

also have pictures from the outside because this explosion was so large

the smoke worked up through the station and started to come out

through the front of the station. As you would expect, a lot of people

around because it was rush hour. These pictures are from later after

the emergency services had arrived. As you can see, people are being

treated on the pavement, some given blankets to keep warm. This man is

trying to find a way through for the fire engines, as it was rush hour it

wasn't easy for the emergency services to get to where they wanted

to be as fast as they would have liked. All these pictures were

coming in. Some of those people who came out of the station then

described what they had seen. We were in between the station and

Maelbeek and we felt a small blast of air. We heard some thudding in

the distance. The Metro immediately stopped. The lights turned off, the

engine turned off and a message came on saying there had been a

disturbance on the line, that continued for a few minutes. People

were obviously nervous, I think a lot of people, like myself, had been

reading about the explosion at Brussels airport as they were on

their way to work. The train staff came through and I asked one of them

was there an explosion and the woman who worked for the rail service said

yes. Then her colleague quickly behind her followed and I asked him

where was the explosion? He said, Maelbeek. Then we were evacuated.

They turned off the electricity on the line. We walked out the back of

the carriage. The stories developing all the time. I can bring you all

the copy that's been filed into the BBC newsroom. This comes from the

BBC's deputy political editor saying the Prime Minister's office says

that the Foreign Office was changing its travel advice to warn people,

British people, against all but essential travel to Brussels.

A really significant statement there from the UK's Foreign Office. Advice

being changed. Warning people against travel to Brussels unless it

is absolutely essential. There has been widespread

condemnation from the UK Government, from governments around the world to

what's been happening. A couple of quotes. Belgium's Prime Minister has

said this is a black moment for his country. Now more than ever he said

I would like to appeal to all to be calm and to show solidarity.

The French Prime Minister has said, we are at war. We have been

subjected for the last few months in Europe to acts of war.

Very strong language from the French. If you want to follow this

story online, whether it's through the news app or the website, the

live page is putting together the latest information.

One of the images on the live page is that image of the airport attack

suspects. If we bring that up for you now this is an image widely

published by Belgian media said to show the three men who are believed

to have carried out the attack. The two men on the left, what's being

remarked upon is they both appear to be wearing a single black glove on

their left hands. Some reports suggesting this could have been in

order to conceal detonators. Other reports saying it's believed the man

in white got away. It's been announced that there will

be three days of national mourning in Belgium following the attacks

this morning. Let's speak to the security analyst, the head of

research and analysis at the Glennal Centre for Security and joins me now

from New York. It was obvious within moments of the attack in Brussels

that cities around the world were put on alert. That's right. I think

the tension is palpable because the hallmark of these events is they hit

soft targets and vulnerable citizens and they're difficult to prevent.

Understandably, even the commute to New York City today, there was

tension. The focus has been on Brussels in

the last few days. Are you surprised Brussels is now a target? It's

perhaps not surprising. I mean there's been so much discuss about

this being in retaliation for the arrests of Salah Abdeslam, but it's

unlikely given the kinds of logistics and planning that this

required that this was done on such short notice. Given the number of

associations we have seen on previous attacks, it's not

surprising there's been quite a lot of talk over the last three, four,

five months, you know, about Brussels being a potential entry

point. Certainly if we look at the outflow of foreign terrorist

fighters for example to Syria and Iraq, we see nearly 400-450 foreign

fighters which is high per Capita from Belgium. I don't think it's

wholly surprising actually. There's a lot of concern at the speed of

this attack only four days after the arrest of Salah Abdeslam and that

is, some say, pointing to a much more organised and a larger in

number group than had previously been feared? I think that - as I

said earlier, while so much of the focus has been on retaliation, I

think it's clear that from the logistics to be in place to have

people ready to perpetrate these attacks on such short notice, I

imagine this was some time in the planning and certainly I think this

is the challenge we are facing now where we have people who can have

access to training, to logistic support, to plank, and it doesn't

really require perhaps as much time as it used to when you have to go to

a training camp. There's so much support that's available virtually

or by certain specialised actors or trainers and certainly I think a lot

of Government will be concerned andth in wanting to know if there

are any returnees from Syria or Iraq also involved because that will fuel

concern that they'll return with specialised knowledge and they'll be

able to speed up the planning and preparation time. Are there the

links between the various intelligence agencies to make that

possible? There's been criticism in the past about Belgium and French

security on that basis? I can't speak to internal

intelligence cooperation but I think this is going to be the primary

challenge. Sitting here in New York I do a lot of work with the UN, with

member states. I think it's clear that the trans-national and

dimension of today's terrorism will require greater international

cooperation. Intelligence agencies, it's always challenging for them, as

you know, in many ways to get certain information exchanged but

the need for this is clear. We have seen steps with the immediate

sharing of photographs and I think when there have been critical

Americans, we have seen intelligence agencies step up to collaborate on

specific attacks. In the case of certain attacks individually, also

more broadly on prevention, on counterering extreme terrorism. All

eyes will be turned on the security risks that require greater deeper

cooperation with intelligence agencies and diplomatics on the

prevention side that's always going to be critical. As the people of

Belgium try to come to terms with what's happens there today, it's the

nature of terrorism, whatever world leaders say in terms of we shall not

be beaten, that when your trains and trams don't work and your airlines

are shut down, the terrorism has won, albeit in the short-term?

Certainly. I hate to say it won but I see your point, it's casting a

black shadow. The nature of these attacks are vulnerable and open

targets. The fact they took place at the check-in counter and not, you

know, at the security checkpoints, they are trying to keep some kind of

open environment. Certainly I think that's going to be widespread

concern. It does cast a dark shadow. My fear though is, of course, that

in these moments, we will urge towards a very hard response which

of course security responses are necessary but we also need to

remember at the same time as I said to underscore the kind of preventive

activities that we've all talked about in the context of extremism.

The efforts really need to go on and I think that's also important to

remember, the perspective. I mean, with the high number per Capita of

foreign fighters I mentioned, we are still talking about 40 people per

million in. Some ways it's a big number, in some ways it's a small

number, we deal with a number of threats day-to-day when we step

outside our front door and we do live with a number of risks. While

we are going to be concerned, we are going to see public increasingly

concerned bewe have to remember we also survived a number of other

risks, the risk of gun violence here in the US and the numbers related to

that are very high. I think we should try and balance some of the

concern but it's a dark day for sure.

Belgium has raised its terror threat to its highest level. Are you

surprised it's taken this for them to do that? I think raising the

terror threat and the kinds of stoppages it brings on in terms of

what you mentioned earlier, airport subways, I think it has a

significant cause. The urge to do it and see it I think is very strong in

the wake of suspicions, but the cost of doing it not only in terms of

planning but in terms of actually impeding the flow of life in our

very globalised societies, I can imagine that there's a huge cost

associated with it and I can understand why there's caution in

going to that maximum level. I can see cause for it to be heightened.

Personally I could see why there may be those calling for it to have been

heightened much earlier and for longer periods of time, but from a

day-to-day perspective and I imagine for city and local officials, it's

something that is to be done only when absolutely necessary because

life goes on, we still need to function and the stoppages are not

sustainable for long periods. Thank you very much for your time.

Just to say, something just coming through from the UN's Syria envoy,

saying the message from the Brussels attack is the need to ex-tenning

wish the fire of war in Syria. That just coming through reported by

Reuters. Now, here we are bringing you eyewitness accounts throughout

the day. Earlier, I spoke to a lady in the lobby of her hotel 50 metres

from the Metro explosion. We were just checking out and the air was

filled with noise, shots and it was, you know, you freeze in that very

moment and you are disorientated, but the smell, you know, of dynamite

and everything, it was a clear indicator of what was going on. We

tried to get to the exits, to the back exits because the front they

already tried to seal off. Then we decided to stay in the lobby which

filled up with people and we were locked in and managed to get out and

get away from the scene, but it was kind of surreal and at the same time

sad images which become more and more frequent also.

Earlier we also heard from A man at the airport at the time of the

explosion. Miraculously I don't know how we were not physically hurt. We

were yew queueing to check in at the row desk eight which is fairly near

the Starbucks coffee shop. I actually went towards the Starbucks

to go and get a tea for my partner and it was at that moment that the

first explosion happened so the idea of getting a tea stopped being a

good one and I ran back to my partner and the ceiling was falling

in, there was debris falling all around us. General panic I think

would be the best way to describe it. I just jumped on top of my

partner and covered us with the suitcase so as to protect us from

the falling ceiling. We were also talking about it afterwards and also

realised we were afraid that there may be shooting, but that didn't

happen at all. I didn't hear any shots. People were reporting there

was shouting in Arabic. I personally didn't hear any where we were near

the baggage, sorry, the check in row eight. So we ran from the edge of

row eight towards the exit and we were running over the debris from

the ceiling and broken glass from where the windows exploded and there

was people's baggage lying on the floor. I think there were one or two

people lying injured as well and so at that point we ran out into the

area where the cars pull up for the car drop-off points just outside the

airport. There was when we really saw lots of people injured, lots of

people trying to help people who were injured and just general

confusion, everyone on their mobile phones trying to call people, trying

to call the emergency services. We ourselves tried to help a woman who

had a bad injury on her leg and foot. It looked like it was shrapnel

from the explosion that had embedded in her shoe and she was dreaming to

take her shoe off. Obviously we were saying no, that's probably what is

holding your foot together. Then I was running around trying to find

ambulance people or first-aid people. But at that point, probably

we are talking ten or 15 minutes or maybe less than that, after the

explosion, it just seemed like everyone needed help and there

wasn't quite enough emergency service help there at that time. But

then after another ten minutes there were fleets of ambulances and fire

engines and stuff coming into the airport area and we could see people

were getting help they needed. The King of Belgium's said he's been

shocked by today's events, he'll speak to the nation in an hour.

Meanwhile, the Belgian Prime Minister's condemned what he called

blind and cowardly attacks and said people needed to come together.

Our first thoughts are with the victims, with their families and

those waiting for information about their loved ones. Two attacks have

happened this morning, one at 7. 10 and the other one at the Metro

station. As we speak, because of security situation, we are trying to

stabilise the situation and our thoughts are going towards the

providing of treatment for the victims, to evacuate victims of this

attack, towards various hospitals and we know that probably we are

talking about scores of dead, scores of injured persons, some of them

seriously. The authorities are evaluating the

threat and raised it 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 type of tragic moment, this black moment

in our country, 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, solitary 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. That was the Prime Minister of

Belgium. Just to bring you up-to-date. The airport CEO has said

that the airport will remain closed tomorrow, aiming to re-open on

Thursday. At least ten people were killed at the airport this morning

and schools, in his words, were injured -- scores were injured. It's

too early to assess the damage to the terminal and said it could be

longth closed for longer after it's been assessed. We also know at least

20 died at the Metro station so at least 31 people have died. Thank you

for being with us on this BBC News Special. We'll go to Brussels

international airport to join my colleague Ben Brown with the very

latest news coming up here on BBC News.

Terror strikes at the heart of Europe.

At least 31 people are dead and dozens injured after a series

Two explosions ripped through the city's airport

This was the scene in the departure hall just moments afterwards.

TRANSLATION: I heard a gunshot and what sounded like Arabic, then I had

an enormous explosion. An hour later at least

20 people were killed when a third bomb went off

on an underground train Belgian police release this CCTV

image of three suspects. The so-called Islamic State

claims responsibility, in a statement issued

via a news agency. Belgium's Prime Minister says it's

a "black day" for his country. President Obama and the Prime

Minister are among world leaders They could just as well

be attacks in Britain or in France or Germany

or elsewhere in Europe. Hello and welcome to

this BBC News Special. There have been a series

of devastating bomb attacks in the Belgian capital

today that have left at least 31 people dead

and dozens injured. The first went off in the departures

hall at Brussels International As people ran towards the exit,

there was a second, bigger At least 10 or 11

people were killed. But then around an hour later

there was a third explosion on the Brussels metro,

in the heart of the city, right by

the EU institutions. At least 20 were killed and again

many more were injured. These devastating explosions come

just four days after the arrest in Brussels of the Paris terror

suspect Salah Abdelsalam. The Belgian Prime Minister

has called today a dark moment for the entire

Belgian nation. The maximum security level has been

imposed on the whole country. Our first report on the Brussels

attacks is from Jonny Diamond. A departure lounge

becomes a war zone. Travellers cower in fear

of further attack. Two bombs had ripped

through the building. These three men, captured on camera

at the airport this morning, are currently the prime suspects. This

photo is running on Belgian media. The two on the left are thought to

be dead. The third man, on the right, is the subject of a manhunt.

The bombs blew out the windows and brought down the ceiling.

First we thought it was a billboard falling down.

It was 20 centimetres from me, it was a big explosion.

And then there were two people who were working on the airport.

They told me to come inside and they locked the door

Behind a little gap, I saw a soldier putting away a body.

I hope he was not dead and he 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 there was one man was speaking Arabic afterwards and I heard

It was, said Belgium's Prime Minister, a black day.

Our country and our citizens have been struck by attacks,

And our first thoughts are with the victims,

A claim of responsibility for the attack was made. A website linked to

so-called Islamic State said that IS fighters had carried out the

bombings. Brussels is on the highest

state of alert. The military has

sent reinforcements. Public transport has ceased

in Europe's capital. Flights suspended,

the Eurostar halted. Europe, says the French Prime

Minister, is at war. In the last hour or so we have had a

briefing from a senior official here at Brussels airport, saying ten or

11 people died here. Two devices went off, the second one smaller

than the first one. But three devices altogether. The airport

saying they will not open again until Thursday at the very earliest.

We've just had word from the Belgian authorities that they have issued a

wanted notice for one of the three terror suspects who is believed to

have been involved in the airport attack. Two of these three who were

filmed, according to local media, not verified yet, but filmed on

CCTV, two of these are dead but the one in the black hat and a white

jacket seems to have escaped. There is now a wanted alert for that

terror suspect. After the explosions here at Brussels airport, about an

hour later, the height of the morning rush-hour, there was another

devastating explosion at Maelbeek station.

At least 20 have died and 55 are injured.

The entire metro network is now closed.

Christian Fraser's report contains some images that viewers may find

The screams of a traumatised child emerging from a packed commuter

train, in the immediate aftermath of an explosion.