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UPDATED – Brussels explosions, dozens dead after blasts at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek metro

This morning the Europe has fallen again in terror, just months after the Paris attacks a new wave of attacks hit the West. This morning a sequence of explosions have been detonated at Brussels Airport in an alleged suicide bomber terror attack.

We can confirm that there have been two explosions in the departure hall. We called the emergency services on the ground – they [are] now provid[ing] first aid to the injured.” said Anke Fransen, spokeswoman for the Brussels Airport.

The first two Brussels explosions have hit the departure hall at the international Zaventem airport shortly before 8am, next to the American Airlines check-in desk. Other explosions have been detonated at the Schuman and Malbeek metro station, not far from the EU headquarters. The explosions at a metro station in Maalbeek occurred one hour later.

Brussels explosions mapsBrussels explosions maps

Source FT.com

A government source confirmed to VRT broadcaster that it was a terror attack, the number of victims is increasing minute after minute, last news reports at least 34 dead and hundreds people injured.

“A Belgian news agency is reporting that shots were fired and words in Arabic were heard being shouted before the blasts.” reported the British Mirror.

Source FT.comr.

Local authorities are inviting people to not come near the area under attack.

Brussels Airport’s Twitter account told followers: “There have been 2 explosions at the airport.

Local media reported that as many as 14 people were killed at the airport, with hundreds injured, and 20 killed at the metro station. These numbers are not official and must be confirmed by the authorities.

The Brussels explosions come only a day after the Belgium’s interior minister, Jan Jambon, warned possible terror attacks after the recent arrest Salah Abdeslam, one of the participants of the Paris terror attacks.

My thoughts are with the people of Brussels following these ignoble attacks.

From a cyber security perspective, I invite all to remain vigilant, crooks will try to exploit the media attention on the Brussels explosions sharing bogus videos and malicious link. It is likely we will detect a phishing campaign trying to exploit the event.

Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – Brussels explosions, terror attack)

Update 2016-03- 22, 14:00 GMT

The blood feud is lengthy, o dogs of Europe… Did you think for a day that we would forget to avenge your occupation of the Muslims’ lands?”

1/2 One top distribution account celebrated : “”The blood feud is lengthy, o dogs of Europe…


 

Update 2016-03- 23, 11:30 GMT

According to La Derniere Heure press, the man arrested isn’t Najim Laachraoui.

Update 2016-03- 23, 10:00 GMT

Attack in Brussels, authorities arrested the third man, the alleged the artificer.

Update 2016-03- 23, 9:00 GMT

The authorities have identified two suicide bombers, the brothers Khaled and Ibrahim El Bakraoui. The third man that wears a hat on the right would be the artificer of the group and according to the intelligence, he is the same artificer of the Paris attacks.

Source La Repubblica

Update 2016-03- 23, 21:30 GMT (Source BBC)

Identified the attackers and their links with previous Paris attacks

Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.

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