Brussels terrorist attacks draw worldwide condemnation

Muslim figures, European leaders and international organizations have strongly condemned Tuesday's bloody terrorist bomb explosions in the Belgian capital city of Brussels.

Issuing a statement hours after the attacks, Egypt's top Muslim authority, al-Azhar, strongly condemned the blasts, saying these “heinous crimes violate the tolerant teachings of Islam", Press TV reported.

The Cairo-based body urged the international community to confront the "epidemic" of terrorism," saying, "If the international community does not unite to confront this epidemic, the corrupt will not stop from committing heinous crimes against the innocent."

In a separate development and in reaction to the terrorist attacks in Belgium's capital, the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, said Europe is being burnt by same fire lit in Syria and Middle East "by some regimes."

"The fire that Europe in particular and the world in general is being burnt by is the same one that some regimes ignited in Syria and other states in the region," Hezbollah said in a statement issued to condemn the attacks.

Meanwhile, Syria's state news agency, SANA, said the Syrian government condemns Brussels attacks which are the "result of wrong policies" on terrorism.

Speaking at a press conference in Jordan’s capital, Amman, European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the Brussels blasts marked "a very sad day for Europe as Europe and its capital is suffering the same pain that this region has known and knows every single day.”

She added that it was already clear that the Belgium blasts were attacks that stemmed from radicalization, and called for European and Middle Eastern leaders to work together to tackle the scourge.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement on Tuesday condemning deadly attacks in Brussels by describing them as "despicable" and demanding those responsible to be brought to justice.

"The despicable attacks today struck at the heart of Belgium and the center of the European Union," said Ban’s statement, adding, "The secretary-general hopes those responsible will be swiftly brought to justice."

Later on Tuesday, the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group claimed responsibility for the two bomb attacks in the Belgian capital, Reuters reported a news agency affiliated with the group as saying.

SS