Suicide bombings claimed more than 30 lives in the Belgian capital on Tuesday
+ READ ARTICLESecretary of State John Kerry will travel to Brussels Friday after terrorist attacks left more than 30 dead there.
Kerry will “formally express the condolences of the United States for the loss of life” in Tuesday’s bombings in the Belgian capital, State Department spokesman John Kirby told the Associated Press.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings that left at least 34 dead and more than 270 wounded. The attacks came just four days after Belgian police captured Salah Abdeslam, the only suspect from the Paris attacks in November believed to still be at large.
President Obama on Wednesday said that defeating ISIS was his “number one priority” and asserted that the U.S. government remains vigilant in stopping similar attacks from being carried out on American soil.
“Groups like [ISIS] can’t destroy us. They can’t defeat us. They are vicious killers and murderers who’ve perverted one of the worlds great religions,” Obama said. “It is very important for us to not respond with fear.”