(AFP) – On Sunday, Belgium commemorated a decade since the devastating 2016 jihadist bombings in Brussels, an event that still lingers in the national consciousness. Authorities have highlighted their ongoing commitment to improving intelligence and counter-terrorism strategies.
The bombings on March 22, 2016, orchestrated by the Islamic State, resulted in 32 fatalities and over 300 injuries, marking the deadliest peacetime attack in Belgium’s history.
“Our country will never forget,” remarked King Philip to a crowd gathered at a memorial for the victims. “We didn’t succumb to fear. We didn’t give in to division.”
Alongside him were Queen Mathilde and Prime Minister Bad de Weber, all listening as survivors recounted the harrowing experiences they faced that fateful morning.
The memorial service began early Sunday at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, coinciding with the exact moment of the bombing at 8 am (7 am GMT).
An hour later, the commemoration continued at Maelbeek metro station, another target of the coordinated attacks, culminating in a tribute to the victims.
Beatrice de Lavalette, who lost a leg during the airport bombing, expressed her ongoing struggle with memories of that day. “I would be lying if I said this life is easy. I wake up every day remembering the fear, seeing my body burned and battered,” she said. Despite this, she found strength in her recovery and became a Paralympic equestrian.
The Brussels attacks were executed by the same extremist group that had attacked Paris a few months earlier, claiming 130 lives on November 13, 2015. Following the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the Paris attack, the jihadists quickly moved to stage their assault.
On that Tuesday morning, three suicide bombers detonated their explosives first at the airport and then at a busy metro station near key EU buildings.
This commemoration highlights ongoing concerns amid conflicts in the Middle East, as authorities remain vigilant for potential new threats.
Earlier this month, an explosion damaged a synagogue in Liege, though fortunately, there were no injuries. Similar incidents have occurred across the border in the Netherlands, targeting Jewish communities.
Belgium’s threat level is currently set at 3 out of 4, considered “severe,” especially following an incident in October 2023 where a gunman killed two Swedish soccer fans in Brussels before being shot by police.
Gert Verkotelen, head of the OCAM National Threat Analysis Center, reflected on the criticisms faced by the country regarding security gaps before the 2016 attacks. “What hits us all is a sense of defeat,” he noted in a conversation with AFP.
In the aftermath of the bombings, the Belgian government faced significant challenges, including resignations from two ministers after it was revealed that Turkey had warned them about the airport bomber, Ibrahim el-Bakrawi, prior to the attack.
“Those in charge of our security must heed the past’s lessons, and I take that responsibility very seriously,” Prime Minister DeWeber stated on social media before the ceremony.
Officials from Belgium’s justice system, police, and intelligence services assert that cooperation has improved markedly. The number of personnel in the National Security Agency has risen from 600 to 950 over the past decade. “We have learned the right lessons,” Verkotelen concluded, pointing out the establishment of a shared database of extremist profiles as a major advancement.
This database, accessible to all security services, is regularly updated and included 555 names flagged for priority monitoring last year, with a significant portion identified as potential “Islamic extremists.”
However, even after ten years, many victims express feelings of neglect regarding recognition and compensation for their physical or psychological traumas. “Many victims feel abandoned. We need acknowledgment and economic justice,” shared Edmond Pinchovsky, who lost two adult children in the attack.
