The revelation comes as France announces applications to join the country’s defence forces have tripled in the week since the November 13 Paris attacks.
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A third person, who has yet to be identified, died with them.
Shortly afterwards, armed police backed by armored vehicles and helicopters stationed overhead began a series of raids in which 19 premises in Brussels and three in the industrial city of Charleroi, 50 km (35 miles) to the south, were searched.
Abaaoud, 28, grew up in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, but vanished in 2013 and showed up in Syria.
“Abdeslam Salah was not found during the raids”, he added.
The Belgian jihadist was thought to be in Syria, where he has appeared in several IS videos calling for attacks on Europe, and his presence in France raises huge questions about security failings.
In Syria, meanwhile, a monitoring group said at least 36 people were killed in air strikes by Russian and Syrian jets in the IS-controlled eastern Deir Ezzor province, describing them as the heaviest in the region since the start of the civil war.
In response to the attacks, police carried out raids across France for a fifth night.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel advised the public to be alert rather than panic-stricken, but said the raised security level was due to the “serious and imminent” threat of Paris-style coordinated attacks. His name was put on French intelligence services’ “S notice” in 2010 for reported radicalisation.
Morocco’s king is in France and was expected to meet President Francois Hollande on Friday.
Since the attacks, requests for information about joining the French army have surged. The 26-year-old is also believed to be the leader of a terror cell that was about to attack France’s Charles de Gaulle Airport. Had been under official investigation since October 2012 on suspicion of terrorism-related activity over a plan to go to Yemen.
Two of the Paris bombers, Brahim Abdeslam and Bilal Hadfi, had been living in Belgium. “We do not know at this stage whether Abaaoud blew himself up or not”.
Bilal Hadfi, 20 (born Jan 22, 1995). A handbag with her passport was found at the scene. In the early hours of Wednesday, police launched an assault that lasted seven hours.
Sources say that the woman initially believed to have been the suicide bomber became “radicalized just a month ago” after a life of sex, alcohol, and smoking.
Its imam, Rachid Abou Houdeyfa, who has condemned the Paris attacks, achieved notoriety this year for telling children they could be turned into pigs for listening to music. Investigators have isolated the person’s DNA but have yet to identify them. Three people die, including a woman, Hasna Aitboulahcen.
Jawad Bendaoud, the man believed to have provided the accommodation, is still in custody. French investigators extend into a fifth day the detention of Bendaoud as the investigation continues. Seven others were arrested.
After five nights of raids, the interior ministry said police had detained 90 people and seized 174 weapons, including 18 military-style firearms, 84 rifles and 68 handguns.
The apartment in north Paris acted as a hideout for the people suspected of being behind the terror attacks in Paris last Friday.
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Both had links to Abaaoud, the alleged ringleader of the attacks, who also lived in Molenbeek.
