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Singapore "strongly condemns" attacks in Brussels

Xinhua, March 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

Singapore "strongly condemns" the appalling acts of terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday, which left at least 34 dead, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a condolence letter to Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.

"The shocking terrorist attacks in Brussels today remind us yet again of the serious and continuing threat of terrorism," Lee wrote in a Facebook page later.

He also mentioned the importance of upgrading security measures in Singapore, which was rolled out by Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam last week. According to Shanmugam, Singapore will step up security measures, including more CCTV coverage in major spots and an upgrade in firepower as well as deployment methods for the Singapore Police Force (SPF), in a bid to counter potential terror threats.

"We face a severe threat in Southeast Asia. It is not a matter of if, but when, that an attack will take place here. Indeed, today's attacks in Brussels happened even though the Belgians were on full alert," Lee wrote.

Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean also said that the attacks in Brussels highlight the need to expand current anti-terror measures.

"It illustrates the difficulty that any country, even one which is on high alert which has had recent experience of such incidents, the difficulty that they face in making sure that these incidents don't take place at all," Teo said during his visit to the Cyber Security Agency.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there were no reports of Singaporeans affected by the blasts, adding that the ministry is closely monitoring the situation and is in contact with the Belgian authorities. Endit