Military returns to Belgian streets as nation marks 2016 attacks
The Belgian federal government has redeployed armed military patrols to protect places of worship and Jewish community institutions. The move comes as the country, which hosts the headquarters of both the European Union and NATO, faces a surge in security concerns.
This is not the first time Belgians have encountered camouflaged soldiers armed with automatic weapons in urban centres. The deployment reflects a specific domestic security reflex: calling upon the army when the state perceives an acute, high-level threat.
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin announced on Tuesday that soldiers would be stationed across Belgium to safeguard Jewish communities. "Rather than waiting for someone to be injured in another antisemitic attack, we are taking preventative action," Quintin stated.
The deployment focuses heavily on Jewish neighbourhoods in Brussels and Antwerp. It follows several failed plots in Belgium and the Netherlands. Recent incidents include arson attempts at synagogues and a small explosion at a Jewish school. While these attacks were described by authorities as amateurish and caused minor damage, officials have formally identified them as antisemitic acts. Intelligence sources suggest that pro-Iranian cells may be attempting to demonstrate their ability to incite fear.
Approximately 200 soldiers began their three-month mission on Monday evening. They are tasked with guarding schools, the Jewish Museum, and the Israeli Embassy. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed that the Belgian Federal Police are coordinating the joint operation. Soldiers are also expected to assist in patrolling railway stations and supporting large-scale police operations.
The measure coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Brussels suicide bombings. In March 2016, local Islamist terrorists attacked the city's airport and metro system, killing 32 people initially and wounding hundreds.
The anniversary remains a sensitive issue. Some survivors report they are still struggling to receive official recognition for physical or psychological trauma, which limits their access to compensation. Recently, the death toll rose to 36 after Katarina Viktorsson, whose mother died in the 2016 airport blast, took her own life following years of trauma.
The 2016 attacks occurred only months after the November 2015 Paris massacres. Most of the perpetrators involved in both events originated from the Molenbeek district in Brussels. At the time, Belgium faced intense international criticism for failing to prevent domestic radicalisation. Analysts suggest the current visible military presence serves as a "graphic demonstration" of the state’s resolve, despite the risk of making the EU capital resemble a high-security zone in the Middle East.
Belgium’s security challenges also extend to its nuclear infrastructure. The presence of non-deployed US nuclear warheads at the Kleine-Brogel airbase has long been considered an open secret. The Ministry of Defence previously requested that Google blur satellite imagery of the facility.
Concerns regarding nuclear terrorism date back to at least 2003, when former footballer Nizar Trabelsi was sentenced to 10 years for plotting a truck bomb attack on the base. Trabelsi was extradited to the United States in 2013 and returned to Belgium last year, where he was recently released after completing his sentence.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
