Belgian authorities continued to hunt for one of three suspects officials believe are responsible for the deadly attacks at an airport and subway station in Belgium’s capital city on Tuesday that left more than 30 people dead and 200 others injured.
Here’s what we know so far as the search continues.
On Tuesday, Belgian authorities released a still image taken from CCTV footage at Brussels Airport showing three men suspected in the deadly attacks, two of whom blew themselves up.
On Wednesday, a Belgian prosecutor identified two of the attackers who targeted the airport and subway station as brothers, Ibrahim, 29, and Khalid El Bakraoui, 27.
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According to federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw, the older brother, Ibrahim, was responsible for the suicide bombing at Brussels Airport while the younger brother, Khalid, was responsible for the suicide attack at Maalbeek Metro station.
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Belgian officials gave little information about the suicide attackers but said one of them left a will on a laptop that was found in a trash can in a Brussels neighbourhood.
Officials said the El Bakraoui brothers had a criminal record “not related to terrorism.”
According to Belgian newspaper DH.be, Khalid rented an apartment under a false name in the Forest neighbourhood. The apartment was the subject of an anti-terror raid early last week where police killed a gunman during a three-hour standoff.
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The brothers managed to escape the raid, the newspaper reported.
The anti-terror raid in the Forest neighbourhood was linked to the Nov. 13 gun and suicide bombing attacks on a stadium, cafes and a concert hall in Paris that left 130 people dead.
According to DH.be, it was in that apartment where investigators found the fingerprints of suspected Paris bombing plotter Salah Abdeslam. Abdeslam was captured during a second raid in the Forest neighbourhood on Friday.
The third suspect seen in the CCTV image is currently being sought by police. Officials have yet to formally identify the man seen wearing a pale trench coat and dark hat. However, citing sources, Agence France-Presse (AFP) identified Najim Laachraoui, 25, to be the man seen with the two brothers.
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According to AFP, Laachraoui’s DNA was found on explosives used in the Paris terror attacks. His DNA was also found in one of the Brussels’ apartments raided last week.
Federal prosecutors have yet to confirm the third suspect’s identity.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attacks.
–with files from The Associated Press.
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