Brussels to mark bombings anniversary with defiance

Brussels : Belgium on Wednesday marks the first anniversary of the Islamic State bombings in Brussels with ceremonies showing that the heart of Europe stands defiant.

King Philippe is set to lead a minute of silence at both Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek metro station where suicide bombers killed 32 people and wounded more than 320.

Applause is then set to ring out during a "minute of noise" as trains, trams and buses come to a halt in memory of the victims of the country's worst ever terror attacks.

A year on, Belgium remains on high alert with troops patrolling the streets and warnings of fresh risks from Islamic State jihadists returning home from Iraq and Syria.

Investigators say the blasts were carried out by a network that was also behind the November 2015 Paris attacks, and acted on orders from the IS high command.

"It is possible that we keep soldiers on the streets -- I am absolutely unable to tell you what situation we will be in, in one month, three months, or six months," Prime Minister Charles Michel said on RTL television.

While tightly guarded, Wednesday's ceremonies will focus on bringing Belgian society together, from royalty to schoolchildren, and from people of all faiths.

At 7:58 am (0658 GMT), King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will lead victims, family members and rescuers in a service of remembrance at the airport for the 16 people killed by suicide bombers Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui.

The royal couple will then travel by the underground to Maalbeek in the city's European quarter where Bakraoui's brother Khalid blew himself up on a crowded train at 9:11 am, killing a further 16 people.

At both sites there will be minute of silence.

But afterwards, metro staff will hold a "minute of noise", in which commuters will be invited to take part "to show that they do not forget but they will stay standing against hate and terror", the Brussels public transport company Stib said.