Sunday 22 March 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks at Brussels Airport in Zaventem (Flemish Brabant) and aboard a train at the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels’ European Quarter. On 22 March 2016 terrorists from the so-called Islamic State (IS) carried out 2 coordinated attacks. The first attack took place at Zaventem Airport shortly before 8am when 2 suicide bombers detonated bombs inside the airport’s departure lounge. Just over an hour later a third bomb was detonated aboard a Brussels metro train at Maalbeek metro station.
22 March is the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek metro station
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32 people died in the attacks and further 300 people were injured. 3 terrorists, the two suicide bombers at the airport and the metro bomber, also died. A third suicide bomber that was to have detonated his bomb at the airport fled without blowing himself and other up.
A second terrorist in the metro also fled and took his bomb away with him. The terrorist group IS claimed responsibility for the attacks. The attacks were the deadliest on Belgian soil since the end of WWII.
Those involved in the attacks belonged to the same terrorist cell that carried out attacks at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris in November 2015.
The Brussels attacks came just days after a police operation that targeted the terrorist cell. Following the attacks 3 days of national mourning will be declared. Each year on the anniversary of the attacks, remembrance ceremonies are held at the airport and at Maalbeek metro station.
8 convicted
In December 2022 10 men accused of involvement in the attacks went on trial. The trail took place at a special high-security courthouse that had been installed inside the former NATO building in Brussels.
6 of those that stood trial were convicted of terrorist-related murder and attempted murder. A further 2 suspects were convicted of involvement in terrorist activity.