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| Brussels suicide bombers 'named as el-Bakraoui brothers' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two suspected suicide-bombers at Brussels airport, captured on CCTV on Tuesday, have been named by Belgian state broadcaster RTBF as Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui. | Two suspected suicide-bombers at Brussels airport, captured on CCTV on Tuesday, have been named by Belgian state broadcaster RTBF as Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui. |
| The Belgian brothers were well known to police as longstanding criminals in the Belgian capital and more recently it emerged they had clear links to November’s Paris attacks. | The Belgian brothers were well known to police as longstanding criminals in the Belgian capital and more recently it emerged they had clear links to November’s Paris attacks. |
| A third man captured on CCTV footage at Zaventem airport, believed to be on the run, is thought to be 24-year-old Najim Laachraoui, Belgian newspaper DH reported. Laachraoui is also suspected of having links to the Paris attacks. | A third man captured on CCTV footage at Zaventem airport, believed to be on the run, is thought to be 24-year-old Najim Laachraoui, Belgian newspaper DH reported. Laachraoui is also suspected of having links to the Paris attacks. |
| There has been no official statement confirming or denying the reports. | There has been no official statement confirming or denying the reports. |
| Related: Brussels attacks: el-Bakraoui brothers 'named as suicide bombers' – live | Related: Brussels attacks: el-Bakraoui brothers 'named as suicide bombers' – live |
| At least 11 people were killed and 92 wounded in two blasts at the airport. A third bomb that went off at the metro station on rue de la Loi, close to the European Union headquarters, killed 20 and injured 130. | At least 11 people were killed and 92 wounded in two blasts at the airport. A third bomb that went off at the metro station on rue de la Loi, close to the European Union headquarters, killed 20 and injured 130. |
| A massive manhunt was launched for the third airport suspect, who is believed to have escaped after the explosives he was carrying did not detonate. In the CCTV footage he was dressed in a white jacket and hat. His two companions were dressed in black and wearing black gloves on their left hands thought to have concealed detonators. | A massive manhunt was launched for the third airport suspect, who is believed to have escaped after the explosives he was carrying did not detonate. In the CCTV footage he was dressed in a white jacket and hat. His two companions were dressed in black and wearing black gloves on their left hands thought to have concealed detonators. |
| If the airport bombers prove to be part of the same cell as the Paris attackers, serious questions will be raised about potential police and intelligence failings. | If the airport bombers prove to be part of the same cell as the Paris attackers, serious questions will be raised about potential police and intelligence failings. |
| The el-Bakraoui brothers are from Brussels and have a long history in organised crime in Belgium. One of the brothers had rented the flat in Forest, south-west Brussels, which was raided by police last Tuesday, a week before the Brussels attacks, and where Salah Abdeslam, the prime Paris suspect, had been present. In that Forest raid, heavy weapons and an Islamic State flag were found and one member of the Paris attacks cell, Mohamed Belkaïd, an Algerian, was shot by a police sniper. | The el-Bakraoui brothers are from Brussels and have a long history in organised crime in Belgium. One of the brothers had rented the flat in Forest, south-west Brussels, which was raided by police last Tuesday, a week before the Brussels attacks, and where Salah Abdeslam, the prime Paris suspect, had been present. In that Forest raid, heavy weapons and an Islamic State flag were found and one member of the Paris attacks cell, Mohamed Belkaïd, an Algerian, was shot by a police sniper. |
| One of the el-Bakraoui brothers is also known to have rented one of the hideouts of the Paris jihadi team, in Charleroi in Belgium, where two of the attackers met before heading to Paris in November to carry out the attacks that killed 130 people: Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the ringleader, and Bilal Hadfi, one of the Stade de France suicide bombers. | One of the el-Bakraoui brothers is also known to have rented one of the hideouts of the Paris jihadi team, in Charleroi in Belgium, where two of the attackers met before heading to Paris in November to carry out the attacks that killed 130 people: Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the ringleader, and Bilal Hadfi, one of the Stade de France suicide bombers. |
| One of the el-Bakraoui brothers is also believed to have provided ammunition and weapons for the Paris attacks in which gunmen opened fire on bars and at a rock concert at the Bataclan, RTBF reported. | One of the el-Bakraoui brothers is also believed to have provided ammunition and weapons for the Paris attacks in which gunmen opened fire on bars and at a rock concert at the Bataclan, RTBF reported. |
| Laachraoui, whose nationality has not been given, was identified this week as a key suspect previously known by his alias, Soufiane Kayal. He is reported to have travelled to Syria in 2013 and was travelling with Abdeslam under his alias in September 2015 when their Mercedes was stopped at the Hungarian border with Austria. | Laachraoui, whose nationality has not been given, was identified this week as a key suspect previously known by his alias, Soufiane Kayal. He is reported to have travelled to Syria in 2013 and was travelling with Abdeslam under his alias in September 2015 when their Mercedes was stopped at the Hungarian border with Austria. |
| Laachraoui’s DNA had been found at an apartment used by the attackers in Auvelais, near the central Belgian city of Namur, which he had rented under a false name. Traces were also found at another suspected hideout in Schaerbeek, a district of Brussels. RTBF reported that he could have been one of the bombmakers involved in the Paris attacks. | Laachraoui’s DNA had been found at an apartment used by the attackers in Auvelais, near the central Belgian city of Namur, which he had rented under a false name. Traces were also found at another suspected hideout in Schaerbeek, a district of Brussels. RTBF reported that he could have been one of the bombmakers involved in the Paris attacks. |
| Islamic state claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attacks, saying through its affiliated news agency Amaq that its fighters carried out “a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices”. The extremists had also opened fire at the airport and suicide belts were detonated in both attacks, it said. | Islamic state claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attacks, saying through its affiliated news agency Amaq that its fighters carried out “a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices”. The extremists had also opened fire at the airport and suicide belts were detonated in both attacks, it said. |
| According to local reports, a taxi driver has come forward after recognising CCTV images of the three airport suspects as men he picked up from an apartment block and dropped off at the airport. | According to local reports, a taxi driver has come forward after recognising CCTV images of the three airport suspects as men he picked up from an apartment block and dropped off at the airport. |
| The report said this led police to raid an apartment block in Schaerbeek, where they discovered an explosive device filled with nails, as well as an Islamic State flag and chemicals. | The report said this led police to raid an apartment block in Schaerbeek, where they discovered an explosive device filled with nails, as well as an Islamic State flag and chemicals. |
| The driver remembered the men had too much luggage to fit into his vehicle and were forced to leave some behind, Belgian news outlet HLN reported. He was also not allowed to assist them in unloading luggage upon arrival at the airport. | The driver remembered the men had too much luggage to fit into his vehicle and were forced to leave some behind, Belgian news outlet HLN reported. He was also not allowed to assist them in unloading luggage upon arrival at the airport. |
| Belgium raised its terror alert to its highest level in the aftermath of the attacks. The airport will remain closed on Wednesday and the metro will be running a reduced service, but schools were expected to open as normal following Tuesday’s city lockdown. | Belgium raised its terror alert to its highest level in the aftermath of the attacks. The airport will remain closed on Wednesday and the metro will be running a reduced service, but schools were expected to open as normal following Tuesday’s city lockdown. |