Bomb that shook Brussels originated from...pharmacy

The chemicals found at the suspects' homes could easily be purchased from pharmacies, but they turned into powerful explosives.

First responders and firefighters stand outside the airport.Zaventem with shattered windows from the force of the explosion on March 22. Photo: AP

On the morning of March 22, four men, plotting to create a bloody massacre to incite chaos, carried out deadly bombs and detonated them at an airport and a subway station in the peaceful capital of Brussels, Belgium. Three large explosions claimed the lives of at least 30 people, injured more than 200, and caused a shock wave on a global scale. The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization has claimed responsibility for the incident, according to the Huffington Post.

The investigation into the Brussels tragedy has only just begun. Belgian authorities continue to hunt for a key suspect in connection with the attacks. He is believed to have arrived at the airport.Zaventem and leave here a block of medicinevery big explosion

According to the investigation agency's analysis, to bring the bombs into the airport, the attackers pretended to be passengers and hid them in personal suitcases. The taxi driver who took the suspects to the airport said he became suspicious of the three when they refused to let him touch the luggage. The fact that many of the victims had leg injuries is also a sign that the bombs seemed to have exploded from suitcases left on the ground.

IS claimed the attackers had detonated explosive belts that caused the explosions. However, investigators said the belts could not have been that powerful.

An X-ray of a victim shows a large nail lodged in his chest.Photo: EPA

According to a Brussels health official, the bombs were also packed with nails, a tactic often used by bomb makers to maximize the damage.

"Bombs containing nails would have caused more casualties. Some victims had nails embedded deep into their bodies,"MarcDecramer, University Hospital spokesmanGasthuisberg inLeuven, said. An X-ray of one victim also showed a large nail lodged in his chest.

Belgian authorities have not yet released the exact chemicals the terrorists used to make the bombs. However, the Belgian prosecutor's office announced yesterday that they had discovered a possible bomb-making facility in the apartment complex where the three suspects were hiding.

In the apartment, authorities discovered nearly 15 kilograms of a volatile explosive called Triacetone-Triperoxide, or TATP, also known as “Mother of Evil,” similar to the type found in the bombs used by the Paris terrorists last November. In addition to an IS flag, authorities also seized dozens of liters of chemicals used to make TATP, mostly chemicals that can be easily purchased from pharmacies.

Experts previously suspected that TATP was the explosive stuffed in a soft drink can that was smuggled into the luggage compartment of a Russian Metrojet plane and exploded over Egypt, killing all 224 people on board.

Hard to detect

According to the US National Counterterrorism Center, TATP explosive looks like baking powder, is a compound between hydrogen peroxide (an ingredient in hydrogen peroxide) and acetone, plus a certain amount of hydrochloric acid.

Experts assess the attackers' use ofTATP is a sign that IS is becoming more adept at making bombs. TATP is often chosen by European Islamist extremists because the ingredients are easy to find and can be easily purchased from pharmacies and grocery stores. Meanwhile,Security systems at most airports are only capable of detecting explosives.Nitrogen-based explosives are rarely found.superoxide asTATP.

However, this type of explosive is very unstable and difficult to preserve, and can easily explode due to small mistakes in the process of making bombs or explosive belts.. Therefore, the production and control of this "Mother of the Devil" explosive bomb requires the intervention of an experienced bomb maker. This makes experts suspect that the Brussels attackers also received support from high-ranking and well-trained members of IS.

During the manufacturing process, just a strong impact or heat, TATP can easily explode because of its unstable nature. "This compound is very dangerous, any temperature or friction factor can cause it to explode," Mr. Scriven King, a US Air Force military police officer, warned.

"Whoever made these explosives or these belts was either very lucky or very confident in his abilities. Just one explosion would kill or seriously injure him, and the whole plan would be at risk of failure. It's not something you can easily assemble overnight," he stressed.

Authorities are still investigating the connection between the two terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. Many experts are concerned that if the bombs used by the attackers in France and Belgium were made by the same people, this is a sign that IS has deep roots in Europe and they are likely planning to systematically sow fear through bloody terrorist attacks across the continent.

Images of three airport bombing suspectsZaventem. Photo:CNN

According to VNE