Commentary: Lessons we can learn from Brussels terror attacks

Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels that killed at least 31 people show that the capabilities of terrorists should not be underestimated and vigilance against terror attacks should be increased worldwide.

For starters, more vigilance is needed in an increasingly complicated international situation.

The world is getting more complicated because on the one hand, the United States, the world's sole superpower, is adjusting its global strategy with waning influence on hot-spot regions, and on the other hand, a multipolar world has not been completely formed and different forces are fighting and containing each other to reach a new balance.

Under such circumstances, it is hard for the war-torn Middle East, a hotbed for terrorism, to drastically improve its chaotic situation in a short time and terrorism is likely to continue to expand in the region.

The fact that some European countries with relatively good public security were chosen as targets shows that terrorists would use all possible opportunities to launch attacks and cause panic in a bid to achieve their political goals.

Related European countries have strengthened counter-terrorism cooperation after a series of terror attacks in Paris killed 130 people in November. However, such cooperation apparently has not deterred terrorists.

The arrest on Friday of fugitive Salah Abdeslam, a mastermind of the Paris attacks, did not prevent the multiple attacks from happening four days later on the airport and subway system of Brussels, Europe's heart, which also injured more than 270 people.

Secondly, the capabilities of terrorists should not be underestimated.

The Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, said a "secret cell of soldiers" were dispatched to Brussels to carry out the attacks.

About 400 to 600 IS fighters have been trained specifically for external attacks and the network of cells shows the reach of the IS in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq, reports say.

And many terrorists, with rich experience in actual combat, know and take advantage of the loopholes in the current anti-terror network, making it more urgent to improve the current counter-terrorism network.

Thirdly, international anti-terror cooperation should be enhanced.

Along with globalization of politics, economy and finance, terrorism is also being globalized. Different terrorist organizations have started to coordinate with each other. They now carry out propaganda campaigns and recruit new members on the Internet, creating a larger and shadowier terrorist network.

Only by strengthening international cooperation and addressing both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism, can the international community achieve the final victory in its fight against terrorism. Endi