One of the remaining terrorists who laid siege to Paris earlier this month in attacks which killed 130 civilians is believed to have fled to Syria, according to French intelligence services. “According to CNN, Oulkadi’s lawyer, Olivier Martins, has stated that his client “‘Did not know it was Salah, and did not recognize him immediately when he arrived because he was wearing a cap”.
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Later, French police realized Abdeslam’s alleged involvement – probably after discovering another auto he had rented which had three AK-47s in the trunk.
Police are investigating whether Abdeslam bought about 10 detonators from a fireworks company, which may have been used by the suicide bombers involved in the massacre.
It is unclear what role Abdeslam played in the attacks though it is thought that he drove the attackers to their destinations after investigators found his fingerprints in an abandoned auto.
Abdeslam is known to have crossed into Belgium after the November 13 attacks and, along with Mohamed Abrini, seen with Abdeslam two days before the attacks, has been the subject of a massive worldwide manhunt.
Martins said Oulkadi had done nothing wrong.
Oulkadi, Amri and Attou are among six people that authorities in Belgium – whose capital city is said to be a hotbed of European jihadism – are holding in connection with investigations into the Paris attacks.
The men, who were not named, said Abdeslam had been desperate to get back to the ISIS stronghold in Syria.
In a series of media interviews he said he was in no way connected to the attacks and even called on his brother, who returned to Brussels the day after the killings, to hand himself in to police.
“You’re not going to tell me that driving someone from one location to another around Brussels means that you’re automatically implicated in the terrorist attacks”, Martins said.
Italy’s prime minister has renewed his commitment to fighting terrorism alongside France, saying a broader coalition is needed to destroy the Islamic State group “and the atrocious project that it represents”.
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Two people detained for questioning after searches in the eastern town of Verviers – where two jihadists were killed in a gunbattle with police in January – were released on Friday, the prosecutor said.
