The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Police are sending their representatives to participate in the Brussels attack probe following the bombings. The American investigators will be joining the probe since three of the casualties are U.S. citizens.
Since the Brussels attack, the U.S. authorities have heightened alerts in major U.S. airports and transit hubs. John Miller, New York deputy police commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, announced the plan after three American missionaries were seriously hurt the Brussels attack. The missionaries accompanied a French colleague to Zaventem airport on her way to Ohio, News Asia One reported. Miller and the U.S. team of investigators will be leaving Tuesday night or Wednesday.
"Because there are Americans among the casualties and US persons in the attack in Belgium, there will be an FBI investigation coming out of the New York City Joint Terrorism Task Force," Miller told reporters.
It was not the first time for the FBI and the New York Police to be involved in international terrorism investigations. They first joined forces in 1998 in the U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa and then followed with the USS Cole attack in 2000, according to NDTV. Meanwhile, the prime minister claimed that he knew it would happen. The Paris suspect, Salah Abdeslam, was arrested by Brussels Police and after some days, the Brussels attack happened.
"What we feared has happened," said Charles Michel, the Belgian prime minister. French President Francois Hollande claimed that the terrorists struck Brussels, "but it was Europe that was targeted."
The Brussels attack took place at Zaventem airport in the departure terminal. An hour following the first attack, a blast struck in the city of Brussels. Another bomb was detonated at Maelbeek metro station. The metro station is located in the heart of the city, where buildings of numerous European Union institutions are erected, NPR reports. Three probable suspects in the Brussels attack were seen in the footages. One of them was believed to have survived.
The ISIS claimed responsibility over the Brussels attack that happened on Tuesday. At least 34 people died and 190 were seriously wounded in the three bombings in the city. Belgium raised its alert to a serious and imminent threat.
