2 Americans Among Brussels Dead, Investigators Nab 7 Suspects

A U.S. official says at least two American citizens have been confirmed killed in Tuesday's attacks in Brussels, Belgium. The news comes as European investigators race to find those responsible and prevent future terrorism.

Secretary of State John Kerry visits Brussels to express U.S. condolences and hold counter-terrorism talks.

Kerry met with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and later expressed his sympathies to the Belgian people. 

"The United States is praying and grieving with you for the loved ones of those cruelly taken from us, including Americans, and for the many who were injured in these despicable attacks," Kerry said. "The United States stands firmly with Belgium and with the nations of Europe in the face of this tragedy."

Kerry told reporters that the Islamic State is declining.  "Its territory is shrinking. Its leaders are decimated. Its revenue sources are dwindling and its fighters are fleeing," he said.

Chris Mitchell brings a live look at Brussels in mourning following the terror attacks.

But on the ground in Europe, the feverish manhunt continues to prevent yet another ISIS act of terror.

Belgian authorities detained at least six people in raids connected with Tuesday's bombing attacks on the Brussels airport and metro system. 

In France, authorities say they've detained a man who was in the advanced stages of planning an attack there.

They believe the suspect, 34-year-old Reda Kriket, was connected with the suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks and had a past Belgian terrorism conviction.

Authorities have now formally linked the Brussels attacks and the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 dead.  They believe the same Islamic State cell planned and executed both.

The Belgian government is facing growing criticism that it missed warning signs pointing to Tuesday's bombings.  On Wednesday the Belgian interior and justice ministers offered to resign but the prime minister refused to accept their resignations.

The Dutch justice minister has confirmed that Ibrahim El Bakraoul, one of the Brussels suicide bombers, flew from Turkey to Amsterdam in July.  

The President of Turkey, Recept Tayyip Erdogan, said Wednesday that his government warned the Netherlands and Belgium that Bakraoul was a "foreign terrorist fighter" but the Dutch government says it never received the information.

Some European justice and home affairs ministers are pushing the European Parliament to adopt an agreement that would allow authorities to share airport passenger data. European privacy advocates, however, oppose the plan.

Belgian authorities are still looking for one of the Brussels airport attackers who was recorded on a surveillance video.  They're also still searching for missing victims of the attacks.