So far, no Indonesian citizen have become victims of these terrorist acts.Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. At least 34 people were reported dead and more than 170 injured, including 3 Indonesian.
Belgian media initially reported at least 13 dead in two explosions in the airport's departures area, but later decreased that to 11, citing information from Belgian Health Minister Maggie de Block, who also said 81 people were injured. Belgian media reported that 11 people were killed at the airport, where two explosions splattered blood across the departure lounge and collapsed the ceiling.
The explosions hit during the busy morning rush. Smoke was seen billowing out of the terminal. "What we feared has happened," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters. "In this time of tragedy, this black moment for our country, I appeal to everyone to remain calm but also to show solidarity."
Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level, diverting planes and trains and ordering people to stay where they were. Airports across Europe immediately tightened security.European security officials have been bracing for a major attack for weeks, and warned that the Islamic State group was actively preparing to strike.
The arrest Friday of a key suspect in the November attacks in Paris heightened those fears, as investigators said many more people were involved than originally thought, and that some are still on the loose.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, and Michel said there was no immediate evidence linking key Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam to them. After his arrest Friday, Abdeslam told authorities he had created a new network and was planning new attacks.
Anthony Deloos, an airport worker for Swissport, which handles check-in and baggage services, said the first explosion took place near the Swissport counters where customers pay for overweight baggage. He and a colleague said the second blast hit near the Starbucks cafe. Zach Mouzoun, who arrived on a flight from Geneva about 10 minutes before the first blast, told BFM television that the second, louder explosion brought down ceilings and ruptured pipes, mixing water with victims' blood. "We were walking in the debris. It was a war scene," he said.
Near the entrance to Brussels' Maelbeek subway station, not far from the headquarters of the European Union, rescue workers set up a makeshift medical treatment center in a pub. Dazed and shocked morning commuters streamed from the metro entrances as police tried to set up a security cordon.
Francoise Ledune, a spokeswoman for the Brussels Metro, said on BFM television there appeared to have been just one explosion on the subway in a car that was stopped at Maelbeek. Spokesman Guy Sablon said 15 were killed and 55 injured in that attack. In Paris, France's top security official said the country was imediately reinforcing security at airports, train stations and metros. (http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/22/explosions-rock-brussels-airport-subway-least-13-dead.html#sthash.CMMYcaqm.dpuf).
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has condemned a series of apparently coordinated bomb attacks at a Brussels airport and a metro station, that left at least 34 people dead in the latest terrorist act in the European Union. Security was tightened across the jittery continent and transport links paralyzed after the bombings that Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel branded "blind, violent and cowardly".
The Foreign Ministry conveyed Indonesia's "deepest sympathy" to the Belgian government and people, particularly the victims and their families.
"Indonesia emphasizes that no forms of terrorist acts or the reasons behind them can be justified. The Indonesian government calls on the international community to strengthen cooperation to address radicalism and terrorism," read a ministry statement issued on Tuesday.
The Indonesian Embassy in Brussels has been monitoring the situation in coordination with Belgian security authorities and hospitals across the city to ascertain whether any Indonesian nationals were among the victims. "So far, no Indonesian citizen have become victims of these terrorist acts," the statement said.
The embassy was also in direct communication with the Indonesian community in Belgium, urging Indonesian nationals to be on alert and avoid locations that might be possible targets of attacks. There are around 1,200 Indonesian living in cities across Belgium, including some 400 in Brussels and the surrounding areas.
Agence France-Presse reported from Cairo that Sunni Islam's leading seat of learning, Al-Azhar, said Tuesdy's attacks in Brussels "violate the tolerant teachin's of Islam", and urged the international community to confront the "epidemic" of terrorism.
"Al-Azhar strongly condemns these terrorist attacks. These heinous crimes violate the tolerant teachings of Islam," the Cairo-based Al-Azhar said in a statement. "If the international community does not unite to confront this epidemic, the corrupt will not stop from committing heinous crimes against the innocent."
The New York police department said there was no indication that the attacks in Belgium were connected to New York, but ordered the steps as America's biggest city of 8.4 million began the morning commute.
In the US capital, metro transit police said additional K9 sweeps and patrols would start as a "precaution", adding that there was no known, specific or credible threat to Washington DC. New York police also took a swipe at proposed federal spending cuts on counterterrorism, calling them "irresponsible" in the city that "is widely recognized as the nation's top terror target".
Is Europe Targeted By Terror Group's?
After Paris, France was attacked by terror group's last year, terror group's in Europe regional has been attacking another country in Europe. Yesterday, terror group's was attacked Belgium.
After terror was attacked in Belgium, some of airport authority such as Germany, France, Netherland, New York etc have been tightened security measures to minimalize terror attacks.
US President Barrack Obama said in Havana, Cuba is quoted from CNN News "We want and we will defeat terrorist. We want take whatever action is necessary to find attackers".
Terror attacks in Belgium has been huge attention globally and its tragedy has been discussed as trending topic at global mainstream media, national media all over the world also at social media.
Several an observer said there were several factor which is pushed terror attacks has been happened in Belgium. First, terror attacks in Belgium is the effect of uncontrolled flock of immigrant certainly is one of the reasons.
After Belgium attacks, refugees from Syria in Europe have been blamed and their safety in dangerous situation. Actually, there is a big difference between a migrant and a refugee.
Refugees are forced to leave their country because they are at risk of, or have experienced persecution. Their concerns are about human rights and safety. If they really do have these well founded fears for their "family's lives" then they should have taken them along to Europe with them.
Second, Belgium is scored as "the biggest importer of jihadi at Islamic State (IS)". Most of Belgium's citizen have joined at Islamic State after they have been more information about IS at social media and internet connection. Those people has interested with "big promotion of IS to built Islam chaliph". These attacks has indicated that IS followers in Europe has been increasing time to time.
Third, terror attacks in Belgium has showed that IS and their alliances including "lone wolf" didn't happy with Europe situation which several countries in Europe have made Islam as their enemies. Besides that, in Belgium has several symbols which is showed as the strenght of Europe such as Economic Europe Council.
Fourth, this has been more than a mere social issue since the start, there are a lot of things which require attention when it comes to this matter. Terrorist group's arise could be triggered by global security uncertainty, the effect of influence domination rivalry, the outcome from some of countries which is created terrorist group's since the cold war era and now they will help eradicate terrorism. After they created it of course, global economic imbalance, abusing digital era and decreasing of civilization.
*) The writer is a global security observer focussing on terror attacks.
Pewarta: By Toni Ervianto *)Editor : M. Tohamaksun
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