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Brussels attacks: suicide bombers 'identified as el-Bakraoui brothers' Brussels suicide bombers identified as police hunt suspect caught on CCTV
(about 1 hour later)
Two of the suspected suicide bombers in the Brussels attacks that killed at least 31 people have been named by the state broadcaster, RTBF, as brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui. Two of the suspected suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the twin Brussels attacks that killed more than 30 people on Tuesday have been formally named by prosecutors, as police searched for a suspect captured on CCTV at Zaventem airport.
Citing sources close to the investigation, the broadcaster said in an unconfirmed report that Ibrahim el-Bakraoui detonated one of two devices that exploded at the city’s Zaventem airport, killing himself and at least 11 others and injuring more than 90 people. The Belgian federal prosecutor, Frédéric van Leeuw, confirmed media reports that Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, 29, detonated one of two devices that exploded at Zaventem airport, killing himself and 11 others and injuring more than 90.
Khalid el-Bakraoui was responsible for a third explosion, in a metro carriage at the Maelbeek station on the Rue de la Loi, about 250 metres from the offices of the European commission, RTBF said. At least 14 people died in that attack, and more than 130 were wounded. His younger brother Khalid, 27, was responsible for a third explosion, just over an hour later in a metro carriage at Maelbeek station on the rue de la Loi, near offices of the European commission, van Leeuw told a news conference. At least 14 people died in that attack, with more than 130 wounded.
Related: Brussels attacks: el-Bakraoui brothers 'named as suicide bombers' – liveRelated: Brussels attacks: el-Bakraoui brothers 'named as suicide bombers' – live
Belgian police arrested a man in Anderlecht, west of the capital, on Wednesday morning. Initial reports identified him as Najim Laachraoui, one of three men captured on CCTV footage wheeling luggage trolleys through the airport departure hall, but these were later discounted. Van Leeuw said the two airport bombs exploded within seconds of each other at 7.58am, near the check-in desks of rows 11 and two in the main departure hall. Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was identified by his fingerprints.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, which plunged the Belgian capital into a day-long lockdown, led to heightened security at airports across Europe, and drew swift and strong condemnation from other European countries, the US and Russia. But two others from a group of three men caught on a CCTV camera wheeling loaded baggage trolleys across the hall have not been identified. One of these men was the second airport suicide bomber, the other a suspect who survived after leaving behind a suitcase containing a “very large explosive charge” and who is being actively sought.
Belgian police appealed on Tuesday for information about the men seen on the CCTV images. Earlier media reports on Wednesday identified two of them as the el-Bakraoui brothers, and the third as Laachraoui, who is thought to have escaped the blasts, possibly because his device failed to explode, and is still on the run. Belgian media have suggested the surviving attacker was Najim Laachraoui, but reports that he had been arrested were later retracted.
However, the latest RTBF report only placed one brother – Ibrahim – at the airport, raising questions about the possible existence of a fourth attacker who could have detonated the second airport bomb. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, which plunged the Belgian capital into a day-long lockdown, led to heightened security at airports across Europe, and drew swift and strong condemnation from other European capitals, the US and Russia.
The brothers, Belgian nationals from Brussels with long criminal records, were well known to police. It had emerged recently that they had clear links to the Paris attacks in November that killed 130 people. Shortly after Brussels residents, EU staff including the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and members of the Belgian royal family observed a minute’s silence in memory of the dead, van Leeuw confirmed the death toll from the attacks stood at 31 but was likely to rise further, with 270 injured.
Laachraoui, 24, who is also suspected of involvement in the Paris attacks, was seen on the CCTV footage dressed in a white jacket and hat. The other two attackers on the grainy image were in black and wearing black gloves on their left hands, thought to have concealed detonators. A taxi driver had 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, van Leeuw said, adding that police had subsequently raided the building in the district of Schaerbeek and discovered 15kg of explosives, detonators and a suitcase filled with nails and screws.
One of the el-Bakraoui brothers rented a flat in the Forest area of south-west Brussels. It was raided by police last Tuesday and resulted, three days later, in the capture of Salah Abdeslam, the only known survivor of the 10 Islamist gunmen and suicide bombers who attacked the Bataclan concert hall, Stade de France and a string of cafes and restaurants in Paris last November. A series of other raids in the same street had led to one arrest, the prosecutor added, and the discovery in a rubbish bin of a computer containing a statement from Ibrahim el-Bakraoui in which he wrote of feeling “in a rush, not knowing what to do, being hunted everywhere, not being safe, and if this goes on, ending up in a cell”.
Heavy weapons, an Islamic State flag and Abdeslam’s fingerprints were found in that Forest raid, during which another suspected member of the Paris attacks cell, Mohamed Belkaïd, was shot by a police sniper. Van Leeuw said the two el-Bakraoui brothers, both Belgian nationals, had long criminal records but had not so far been associated with terrorism. It has emerged since the bloody attacks in Paris last November that killed 130 people, however, that they were part of that terror cell.
An el-Bakraoui brother is also known to have rented a place in Charleroi, Belgium, where two of the Paris attackers – the ringleader, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, and Bilal Hadfi, one of the Stade de France suicide bombers – met before heading to the French capital. One el-Bakraoui brother is known to have rented a flat in the Forest area of south-west Brussels that was raided by police last Tuesday, leading three days later to the capture of Salah Abdeslam, the only known survivor among the 10 Islamist gunmen and suicide bombers who attacked the Bataclan concert hall, Stade de France and a string of cafes and restaurants in Paris.
One of the brothers is also known to have rented a hideout in Charleroi in Belgium where two more of the Paris attackers, ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud and Bilal Hadfi, who blew himself up at the Stade de France, met before heading to the French capital.
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 with Abdeslam in September 2015 when their Mercedes was stopped at the Hungarian border with Austria. Laachraoui, 24, is also suspected of involvement in the Paris attacks. He reportedly travelled to Syria in 2013 and was previously identified by his alias Soufiane Kayal. He was travelling with Abdeslam in September 2015 when their car was stopped at the Hungarian border with Austria. Also in the car was Mohammed Belkaid, who was shot dead by a police sniper in a Forest raid.
Laachraoui’s DNA was found at an apartment used by the Paris attackers in Auvelais, near the central Belgian city of Namur. Further traces were 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 was also found at another apartment used by the Paris attackers, in Auvelais near the central Belgian city of Namur, and at another suspected hideout in the Schaerbeek a district of Brussels. RTBF said he could have been one of the bomb makers involved in the Paris attacks.
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. Belgium raised its terror alert to its highest level in the aftermath of the attacks. The airport will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday and the metro will be running a reduced service, but schools were opening as normal.
The report said this led police to raid apartments in Schaerbeek, where they discovered an explosive device filled with nails, as well as an Islamic State flag and chemicals. The French prime minister, Manuel Valls, who was travelling to Brussels on Wednesday, urged the EU parliament to authorise a full Europe-wide passenger name record the continent. “It has waited too long to adopt this text,” he said. “It must examine and adopt it in April, it’s time.”
The driver remembered the men had too much luggage to fit into his vehicle and were forced to leave some behind, the Belgian news outlet HLN reported. He was also not allowed to help them unload the luggage at the airport.
Belgium raised its terror alert to its highest level after the attacks. In Brussels, the airport remained closed on Wednesday and the metro was running a reduced service, but schools were expected to open as normal following Tuesday’s city lockdown.
The suspectsThe suspects
Ibrahim el-BakraouiIbrahim el-Bakraoui
El-Bakraoui is believed to have detonated at least some of the explosives at Brussels’ main airport. He and his brother, Khalid, were well known to Belgian police because of there long history of involvement in organised crime. They had clear links to the Paris attacks and were among the suspects on the run. El-Bakraoui blew himself up at Brussels’ main airport. He and his brother, Khalid, were well known to Belgian police because of there long history of involvement in organised crime. They had clear links to the Paris attacks and were among the suspects on the run.
Unidentified suspectUnidentified suspect
The second bomber at the airport.The second bomber at the airport.
Khalid el-BakraouiKhalid el-Bakraoui
Police told Belgian media they believed Khalid el-Bakroui was responsible for the explosion in the metro carriage at Maelbeek station on the Rue de la Loi, which killed at least 14 people and injured more than 130. Like his brother Ibrahim, the suspected airport bomber, he had a history of crime and links to the Paris attacks. He had rented the flat in Forest, south-west Brussels, that was raided by police last Tuesday and where DNA traces of Salah Abdeslam, the surviving Paris attacker, had been found. Khalid el-Bakroui was responsible for the explosion in the metro carriage at Maelbeek station on the Rue de la Loi, which killed at least 14 people and injured more than 130. Like his brother Ibrahim, the suspected airport bomber, he had a history of crime and links to the Paris attacks. He had rented the flat in Forest, south-west Brussels, that was raided by police last Tuesday and where DNA traces of Salah Abdeslam, the surviving Paris attacker, had been found.
Najim LaachraouiNajim Laachraoui
Laachraoui was identified as a key suspect in the Paris attacks the day before the Brussels bombings. His DNA was found in two hideouts used by Paris attackers and also on explosive material, prosecutors have said. Laachraoui was travelling under an alias with Salah Abdeslam in September last year when their Mercedes was stopped at the Hungarian border with Austria. The Belgian state broadcaster RTBF reported that he could have been one of the bombmakers in the Paris attacks.Laachraoui was identified as a key suspect in the Paris attacks the day before the Brussels bombings. His DNA was found in two hideouts used by Paris attackers and also on explosive material, prosecutors have said. Laachraoui was travelling under an alias with Salah Abdeslam in September last year when their Mercedes was stopped at the Hungarian border with Austria. The Belgian state broadcaster RTBF reported that he could have been one of the bombmakers in the Paris attacks.
Haroon SiddiqueHaroon Siddique