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Belgium Marks 10 Years Since the Brussels Bombings With National Memorials

Officials warn the jihadist threat now centers on self‑radicalized lone actors.

Overview

  • Ceremonies at Brussels Airport and Maelbeek honored victims with survivor testimonies, attended by King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
  • Belgium lists 35 victims from the 2016 attacks, though some reports now cite 36 after later deaths linked to injuries.
  • Investigators traced the bombers to the Paris 2015 cell overseen by Islamic State leaders in Syria, and surviving perpetrators received sentences in 2023 ranging from decades to life.
  • Experts report a shift from coordinated cells to online‑radicalized individuals, making plots simpler to carry out and harder to foresee.
  • Victim organizations continue to criticize limited state support and earlier intelligence failures, as recent blasts targeting Jewish sites in Liège and the Netherlands raise fresh concerns.