Brussels honors victims of deadly terror attack on one year anniversary

Islamic Extremism

It’s been exactly one year since terrorists struck in Brussels. The three coordinated suicide bombings killed 32 people, and more than 300 were hurt. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attacks.

CGTN’s Mariam Zaidi reports from Brussels.

Follow Mariam Zaidi on Twitter @zaidi_mariam

A musical extravaganza courtesy of the Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra brought the house down at an arts festival in Brussels on Tuesday evening.

“Salaam Syria” was no normal concert. The musicians taking part there fled civil war in their country. They wanted to show solidarity on the eve of the anniversary of one of the worst acts of violence on Belgian soil in recent history.

“last year we had the Klarafestival in the same period and 22nd March, the inevitable apparently happened here in Brussels. So we decided we have to do something about this. This is a concert to remember that we have to work to have peace in this world,” Sophie Detremmerie, managing director of Klarafestival said.

On March 22 2016, two suicide bombs ripped through the check in terminal at Brussels Zaventem airport. Just over an hour later, a third detonated inside the carriage of a train as it left Maelbeek metro station downtown. Thirty-two lost their lives.

On Wednesday, the king and queen of Belgian led victims, their families and rescuers in a minutes silence to commemorate the fallen on the tarmac of the airport.