Brussels attack is strike against Europe, say EU leaders

French leader Francois Hollande i has said the bomb blasts in Brussels targeted “the whole of Europe”, as messages of sympathy pour in from around the world.

Speaking on TV after an emergency cabinet meeting in Paris on Tuesday (22 March), Hollande said: “Through the attacks in Brussels, the whole of Europe has been hit.

“France will implacably continue the fight against terrorism both on the international level and at home.”

He said the “war against terrorism” must be conducted across Europe in “cold blood”.

French economy minister Emmanuel Macron said on twitter: “Today we are all citizens of Brussels. Europe has been struck at its heart.”

In the Belgian and EU capital, where three explosions earlier the same day killed at least 28 people and injured dozens of others, prime minister Charles Michel i in an emergency press conference described the events as “blind, violent, cowardly attacks”.

He said his priority was treating victims. But he said it was difficult to secure the sites of the attacks or specify the exact number of casualties at this point.

He did not comment on whether the attacks were connected to last week's arrest in Brussels of Saleh Abdeslam, who took part in the Paris attacks in November 2015

Belgian officials said it was an obvious assumption, but they had no proof as yet.

Amid scant news on the victims, the Slovenian foreign ministry said one of its diplomats was among the people injured in the explosion at the Maelbeek metro station in the EU district in Brussels.

EU foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini i broke down in tears during a press conference in Amman in Jordan.

She said it was a “very difficult day for Europe” before leaving the podium.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg i said: “We all stand together with our ally Belgium on this dark day.”

Other EU leaders echoed Hollande’s statement.

"Brussels was hit hard. Belgium was hit hard. Europe was hit hard,” said Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte i, who holds the rotating EU presidency.

“Europe is under attack,” Irish leader Enda Kenny i said.

Swedish PM Stefan Loefven said: “It is an attack on democratic Europe.”

Several European capitals announced they would step up security on transport networks in reaction to the events.

France said it was deploying 1,600 additional security forces. France, Germany and the Netherlands said they were also coordinating extra security checks on the Belgian border.