The Islamic State's news agency Amaq claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack in Belgium.
"Islamic State fighters carried out a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices on Tuesday, targeting an airport and a central metro station in the center of the Belgian capital Brussels, a country participating in the international coalition against the Islamic State," the statement, posted shortly after 11 AM Eastern time, read. "Islamic State fighters opened fire inside Zaventem Airport, before several of them detonated their explosive belts, as a martyrdom bomber detonated his explosive belt in the Maalbeek metro station. The attacks resulted in more than 230 dead and wounded."
The statement came hours after explosions tore through the departure hall of Brussels airport on Tuesday morning killing at least 14 people and injuring another 81. Shortly afterward, a second blast struck a metro station in the Belgian capital, close to European Union institutions, which left an estimated 20 dead and more than 100 people wounded.
The claim of responsibility appears credible. "If Amaq claims it, the claim is official," Aymenn al-Tamimi, a fellow at the UK Middle East Forum who is a leading expert on Islamic State documents and instutitons, told VICE News. "It's not merely a fanboy news outlet."
25. Interestingly: ISIS is getting much faster at claiming its attacks in the West. Post-Paris we waited an entire day
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi)March 22, 2016
Reuters reports that an Islamic State flag was found during a raid on a home in Brussels that police believe is associated with the attacks.
BREAKING: Belgian police find Islamic State flag and a bomb at house search in Brussels district: broadcaster — Reuters Top News (@Reuters)March 22, 2016
This story is breaking and will be updated.