ROME – Leonardo da Vinci and Ciampino airports were on heightened alert Tuesday after terror attacks in Brussels’ Zaventem airport and another in the Belgian capital's centre, near EU buildings, security sources said.  The level of security in Leonardo Da Vinci airport, which are standardly high, have now been raised to an even higher level.

 Passenger controls going through security have been intensified, whilst all flights to and from Brussels have been cancelled.

 The attacks occurred just four days after Saleh Abdeslam, who is thought to have been involved in the Paris attacks, was arrested in Brussels.  Belga, a Belgian news agency said shots were fired and something shouted in Arabic shortly before the explosion, around 8 a.m.  Begium’s federal prosecutor meanwhile has confirmed that the attacks were carried out by a suicide bomber.

 According to Belgian broadcaster VTM there are 23 dead, 13 people from the airport and 10 from Maalbeek metro station, whilst many others are reported to be seriously wounded.

 jp-ch