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Brussels bombings: Manhunt continues
Belgian authorities search for a man pictured with two apparent suicide bombers, detaining one person a day after 34 people were killed, including three suicide bombers.
Brussels: Police have a fresh lead in their investigation of the Brussels terrorist attacks: a computer belonging to one of the suicide bombers, containing a despairing message described as a "will".
In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Belgium federal prosecutor Frederic van Leeuw gave new details on the bombings, which occurred on Tuesday morning, and the hunt for the conspirators responsible.
Belgian police leave after an investigation in a house in Brussels. Photo: AP
He also updated the casualty count: 34 people have now been confirmed killed and 270 people were injured in the attacks at Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station - but he warned those figures "could continue to rise".
His comments came hours before Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told a separate press conference one of the attackers in the Brussels suicide bombings had been deported from Turkey, which subsequently warned Belgium that he was a militant.
Mr Erdogan said that, last June, the man, whose identity has not been confirmed, was deported to the Netherlands at his own request and Turkey also notified Dutch authorities.
A man suspected of being Najim Laachraoui, left, captured on CCTV with confirmed bomber Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, centre, moments before the blast. His brother Khalid set off a bomb on a train. The man on the right wearing a hat fled and is being hunted by police. Photo: AP
In Belgium, Mr van Leeuw confirmed reports that police had identified two suicide bombers by their fingerprints: Brussels-born brothers Khalid, 27, and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui 29.
He said the first bomb, taken to the airport by Ibrahim el-Bakraoui and two other unidentified men, had exploded in row 11 of the departure terminal at 7.55am.
Nine seconds later there was another explosion in row two.
People observe a minute of silence at the Place de la Bourse in the centre of Brussels on Wednesday. Photo: AP
The third suspect, seen wearing a light jacket and dark hat in a CCTV image disseminated by police, deposited his bag and left before the explosions.
This bag contained the "most important" charge. It was left in an unstable state but it did not explode until after a bomb disposal team arrived - and "fortunately nobody was injured" in that explosion due to the team's professionalism, Mr van Leeuw said.
No other weapon was found at the scene, he said, contradicting early reports (and Islamic State claims) of automatic weapons at the airport.
Two intelligence officials have said that Najim Laachraoui[3], 24, who is believed to have prepared explosives for the November Paris attacks, was one of the two men who blew themselves up at the airport.
The other was Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who had an extensive criminal record, the officials said.
Ibrahim el-Bakraoui's younger brother, Khalid el-Bakraoui, carried out the suicide bombing on the metro ,73 minutes after the initial attack at the airport, prosecutors said.A third man who left a bomb in the airport but escaped is still at large, prosecutors said.
The apartment block on Rue Max Rose in Brussels where a taxi driver picked up a group of suicide bombers on Tuesday morning, and where police later found a bomb making laboratory. Photo: Nick Miller
After a CCTV image of the three suspects at the airport was released, a taxi driver told police he had delivered those three passengers to the airport.
Police searched the address they were picked up from, in the Brussels suburb of Schaerbeek. They discovered 15 kilograms of explosives as well as bomb-making material: 150L of acetone, 30L of oxygenated water, detonators, a bag full of bolts and screws, tools and ventilators.
In a rubbish bin in the same street, investigators found a computer containing a "testament" from Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, believed to be a will.
In the message he said "he didn't know what to do any more, he was being searched for everywhere, didn't feel secure and worried he may end up in a prison cell", Mr van Leeuw said.
During raids on Tuesday, police arrested two men in Schaerbeek. One was still being interviewed and another freed after questioning. Neither has been identified publicly.
Mr van Leeuw said the attack at the metro station happened while the train was about to leave, in the second carriage at the platform.
The brothers "had a criminal record but no connection to terrorism", the prosecutor said.
Forensic experts were still examining the crime scenes, and this may continue for hours or even days.
Mr van Leeuw said he could not give any more information, as he only wanted to provide "verified" facts that did not compromise the investigation.
"All thoughts go to the victims and families," he said.
References
- ^ More video (media.smh.com.au)
- ^ Replay video (www.smh.com.au)
- ^ Two intelligence officials have said that Najim Laachraoui (www.smh.com.au)
