Brussels Attack 22/3/2016

There has been three explosions in Brussels occurring around 0700 GMT. Two explosions occurred in the departure area of Brussels Zaventem airport and the third at the Maalbeek metro station. At present casualties are 13 dead and 35 wounded. No claims of responsibility have been issued yet. The security level in Brussels is at Level 4 it's highest level and only the second time it has been at this level since WWII. The other time was in response to last years Paris attacks. This will likely change security protocols at European airports, with increased security being implemented immediately.

ngatimozart said:

There has been three explosions in Brussels occurring around 0700 GMT. Two explosions occurred in the departure area of Brussels Zaventem airport and the third at the Maalbeek metro station. At present casualties are 13 dead and 35 wounded. No claims of responsibility have been issued yet. The security level in Brussels is at Level 4 it's highest level and only the second time it has been at this level since WWII. The other time was in response to last years Paris attacks. This will likely change security protocols at European airports, with increased security being implemented immediately.

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Not good at all !! latest reports are now saying 13 dead at the airport blast and 15 at the train station attack, so 28 so far.

To early to say, but of course media linking it to the recent arrest of the Paris attack ring leader.

All flights in and out of the country are cancelled and France has closed its borders in response as well

numbers have tripled this morning...

gf0012-aust said:

numbers have tripled this morning...

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I do not want to come off as callous of human life, but I am surprised by the low causality type attacks that DEASH has be utilizing. I am also surprised that DEASH targeted transportation locations, seeing how that would increase security/surveillance there and thereby decrease their freedom of movement. Are they specifically pulling their punches or just waiting for the most effective time to use their resources?

They did bomb/suicide attacks in crowded areas for maximum carnage, how many deaths did you expect, hundreds? It's not that "easy". Look at the Paris attacks. 130 because 89 were at that theater.

Also, they are trying to disrupt the way of life of the people and terrorise them. Think of how many people take or have taken the metro there, or have been in the airport. I have friends that have been there and they were thinking " what if it was me there?". And we are in another country entirely.

What a bizarre post. Terror attacks happen in public gatherings and mass transportation. Remember the England metro attacks, or the Japan subway gas attacks?

Muukalainen said:

I do not want to come off as callous of human life, but I am surprised by the low causality type attacks that DEASH has be utilizing. I am also surprised that DEASH targeted transportation locations, seeing how that would increase security/surveillance there and thereby decrease their freedom of movement. Are they specifically pulling their punches or just waiting for the most effective time to use their resources?

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I think you'll find that although you cannot stop a committed terrorist, and its true to some extent about the targeting of transport hubs - there is a difference between the level of presence at those Belgian hubs as compared to London, Frankfurt, Singapore, LAX. There is a view that the Belgians had been less vigilant in exercising presence. Note my first comment though

DAESH attacks have been analysed already by CT experts as this not being a fully formed attack and hence why casualties not as severe as they could have been. ie questions around use of types of IED, how they were used and behaviour

however, all of this is a tad presumptive and its early days for any analysis.

small mercies apply here....

Toblerone said:

They did bomb/suicide attacks in crowded areas for maximum carnage, how many deaths did you expect, hundreds? It's not that "easy". Look at the Paris attacks. 130 because 89 were at that theater.

Also, they are trying to disrupt the way of life of the people and terrorise them. Think of how many people take or have taken the metro there, or have been in the airport. I have friends that have been there and they were thinking " what if it was me there?". And we are in another country entirely.

What a bizarre post. Terror attacks happen in public gatherings and mass transportation. Remember the England metro attacks, or the Japan subway gas attacks?

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First of, not hundreds, and secondly, I am sorry that my post was not clear about this, but I was referring to non-human casualties. Specifically, economic and political casualties, I am sorry for that term I don't know a better term. An airport is not the most effective target in those areas.

I am not saying that it does not have a real effect; I said that it was not the MOST effective.

I was specifically referring to DAESH attacks; I am sorry that was not clear. Also, it is necessary to understand the motivations behind a specific attack to be able to understand the pattern.

From the other post, I would really like to know where are the professional CT analysis you were referring to.

Muukalainen said:

I was specifically referring to DAESH attacks; I am sorry that was not clear. Also, it is necessary to understand the motivations behind a specific attack to be able to understand the pattern.

From the other post, I would really like to know where are the professional CT analysis you were referring to.

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An event like this draws the attention of many nations, with LEO and intel support from allied, friendly, and often neutral nations.

Prime targets for such attacks are areas where large numbers of people are gathered at given times, with the numbers of people who can/do pass through transportation hubs, they are sensible targets. Especially if security can be avoided or negated to one degree or another.

While it is still early, depending on how the casualty totals go, that could suggest whether the devices were 'enhanced' or not. Of potentially greater concern is that this appears to have been the work of a larger network of personnel, some of which are presumably still at large.

Toblerone said:

They did bomb/suicide attacks in crowded areas for maximum carnage, how many deaths did you expect, hundreds? It's not that "easy". Look at the Paris attacks. 130 because 89 were at that theater.

Also, they are trying to disrupt the way of life of the people and terrorise them. Think of how many people take or have taken the metro there, or have been in the airport. I have friends that have been there and they were thinking " what if it was me there?". And we are in another country entirely.

What a bizarre post. Terror attacks happen in public gatherings and mass transportation. Remember the England metro attacks, or the Japan subway gas attacks?

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First of all it is not a bizzare post, so pull your horns in. :frosty Muukalainen made quite a valid observation and was polite in advance about it, having manners and decorum which you apparently lack in this post. So withdraw and apologise.

As GF states it's a bit early to categorically state anything so best wait for a bit and see what arises from the investigations. I too think thank goodness for small mercies. I have been getting annoyed with the idiot newsies pontificating on why the police, spies, security services and military didn't know anything about these attacks and prevent them. :mad3

Well the preliminary conclusion of the Belgium Secret service is twofold:
-IS was planning these attacks already for months and the arrest of Salah Abdeslam
speeded things up.(retalliation)
-Or IS speeded things up to prevent the possibillity that Salah Abdeslam betrayed them(fear)

This is the thought right now further investigation is needed.

Will watch the news(here in Belgium)

gr,walter

Ps why for example the airport?easter break is comming lots of people are travelling(holliday),but as thought they(IS)had to speed the attacks up.Keep in mind that a third bom was found that didn't explode(at the airport),so the cost in human live could've been much higher.Also these 3 terrorists ordered a taxi,and when it arrived it was smaller then they asked for so they had to leave 2 suitcases(of a total of 5)behind wich were later found by police(and accids ,etc) and contained bombs as well.(thanks to this taxidriver who called the police and told them where he picked them up)

Maybe the disappointment towards the belgian authorities has to do with the fact that they have been searching for months for a person that was in hiding 400m near his house. Correct?

Toblerone said:

Maybe the disappointment towards the belgian authorities has to do with the fact that they have been searching for months for a person that was in hiding 400m near his house. Correct?

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So are you going to search every property room basement etc inside of the Brussels city limits? There is only so much that can be realistically done without having a police state like the DDR was and do you want that? If you go that way the terrorists win. So some realism and practicality is required in assessments by outsiders not read Into the investigations or by those who do not have knowledge of how those things work.

The Daily Mail is reporting that the Belgians have caught the third terrorist who participated in yesterdays attack. He is Daesh bombmaker Najim Laachraoui - known as the 'Man in white' who was taken alive and is also wanted for making the suicide vest bombs used in the Paris attacks. A good catch. Other links:

Brussels attack: Suspected 'Paris bombmaker' Najim Laachraoui arrested

Brussels attacks: Fugitive Najim Laachraoui 'arrested in Anderlecht by special forces unit' according to reports - latest - Telegraph

to be confirmed in an hour - conflicting reports and a formal announcement will be forthcoming

Toblerone said:

Maybe the disappointment towards the belgian authorities has to do with the fact that they have been searching for months for a person that was in hiding 400m near his house. Correct?

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So just do warrant-less house by house searches with tactical teams breaching, whenever and wherever they feel like?

Sounds like a plan...

A poor one.

Leave him be and remember gf0012's signature.

I'm curious to know if this cell was linked to the Paris attack group through the bombmaker. If so, they might be able to find out who else might be in operation.

ADMk2 said:

So just do warrant-less house by house searches with tactical teams breaching, whenever and wherever they feel like?

Sounds like a plan...

A poor one.

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And to Confirm you thoughts on this matter:
-The arrest was made in the district(STJans-)Molenbeek(Brussels) wich is is only 5.9 square kms,but has a population of about 95.000 so very densely populated,good luck with the house to house search.

What's know as from today the 2 brothers El Bakraoui where connected,1 suicide bomber(brother)on the airport,other on the subway.The man in the white hat and jacket is still on the run(his was the 3rd bomb found at the airport,the heaviest one,on wich the demining service did a controled explosion)

That's what's known now and confirmed(in Belgium)

walter

Ps second suicide bomber(airport) was Najim Lachraaoui.

Toblerone said:

Maybe the disappointment towards the belgian authorities has to do with the fact that they have been searching for months for a person that was in hiding 400m near his house. Correct?

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How did this post get misinterpreted to mean warrant-less house to house searches?

They had plenty of leads to follow up in after the Paris attacks in these months. And they finally did one (or was it two?) arrests, a few days later the rest of the cell performed this hineous attack. If that's not a security failure that has to be lambasted I don't know what is.

These people are not operating in a vacuum, they are communicating in person and online, living together, moving around Europe, getting weapons and bombs, sheltered by others etc.

Toblerone said:

How did this post get misinterpreted to mean warrant-less house to house searches?

They had plenty of leads to follow up in after the Paris attacks in these months. And they finally did one (or was it two?) arrests, a few days later the rest of the cell performed this hineous attack. If that's not a security failure that has to be lambasted I don't know what is.

These people are not operating in a vacuum, they are communicating in person and online, living together, moving around Europe, getting weapons and bombs, sheltered by others etc.

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If one knows what they are doing, it is absolutely possible to evade authorities, especially if there is a wider network of personnel to call upon for assistance, particularly in societies were there is freedom of movement and association.

Look at some of the other terror organizations which have (some still do) operated in Europe, and how long and difficult it has been to find/capture some of their respective members.

Just knowing who a particular person is, is by no means all that is needed to find and detain them.