His lawyer says he has performed a U-turn on his planned extradition to France, saying he now wants it to get ahead as quickly possible, adding that he was “not aware” of the Brussels terror plot.
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Wednesday, officials said one of the suspects, Najim Laachraoui, is believed to have also been involved in the deadly attacks in Paris on November 13 – reportedly as a bomb maker.
Prosecutors announced a direct connection between the Brussels bombings that killed 31 people and injured 270 others and last year’s attacks on Paris, which appear to have been carried out by the same Islamic State network.
The taxi driver who drove the Brussels suicide bombers to the airport was not allowed to touch their explosives-laden bags and they sat in silence during the journey, Belgian newspaper DH reported citing unidentified sources.
Turkey has accused Belgium of ignoring warnings about Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, one of the two suicide bombers who detonated suitcase bombs at Zaventem airport.
Najim Laachraoui has been named in Belgian media reports – but not officially confirmed – as the second airport suicide bomber.
But his attorney, Sven Mary, told CBS News that Belgian police had interrogated him only once over the weekend – despite his links to both the Paris and Belgium attacks.
Federal prosecutors said in a statement late Thursday that the arrests were made during raids in central Brussels, Jette and the Schaerbeek neighbourhood. The attacks have laid bare European security failings and prompted calls for better intelligence co-operation.
Authorities say there is still much damage and they have no access to the building as the investigation is still underway. Hours of reconnaissance footage of the home of the Research and Development Director of the Belgian Nuclear Programme was seized in a raid of an apartment in Brussels in December, in the wake of the Paris attacks.
Belgium is holding three days of national mourning.
They acknowledged that top officials failed to act expeditiously on leads including Turkey’s request past year to take custody of Ibrahim El Bakraoui.
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A sign reads “Why?” in English, French and Flemish behind candles and flowers near the Maelbeek metro station, in Brussels on Wednesday evening, March 23, 2016.
