US says 2 more Americans dead in Brussels attacks

4 Americans now identified among 28 victims of triple suicide bombings at airport, metro station

WASHINGTON, United States — The US State Department on Sunday confirmed the deaths of two more Americans in the Brussels suicide attacks, bringing the total number to four.

“We can confirm the deaths of two additional US citizens in Brussels, and we express our deepest condolences to their loved ones,” a State Department official said.

The department had reported Friday that two Americans were killed and that additional US citizens were missing.

“We have no further information to share out of respect for the families during this difficult time,” the official said Sunday.

An American couple that had been reported missing, Justin and Stephanie Shults, were confirmed dead by an employer and family on Saturday. It was unclear whether they were among the four reported dead by the State Department.

A Belgian flag, candles and a teddy bear are pictured as people gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left at least 30 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. (AFP PHOTO/KENZO TRIBOUILLARD)

Tuesday’s attacks on the Brussels airport and metro system, claimed by the Islamic State group, killed 28 people and wounded 340.

The State Department official said the US embassy in Brussels was providing consular assistance.