The third suspect, who wore a pale coat and a dark hat in the right side of the picture, is also not yet identified and is being sought by police.
Advertisement
The El Bakraoui brothers were two of the three suicide attackers Tuesday in Brussels.
An anonymous Belgian official told the AP that it is “plausible” that Abdeslam was part of the terror cell that committed the Brussels attack.
The second airport suicide bomber has not been identified, while the third man, who left the airport before the explosions, is still being hunted, Van Leeuw said. In a CCTV footage from the airport, taken just before the explosions in which 14 people died, he was seen pushing baggage trolleys.
There was no immediate confirmation of the arrest from Belgian authorities but the country’s federal prosecutor announced a press conference within minutes of the reports.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the three Belgian bombings in a statement issued via the A’maq news agency on Tuesday.
Prosecutors had said on Monday – the day before the Brussels attacks – that he had travelled to Hungary in September with Salah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in the Paris attacks, who was captured by police last week.
“We found a lot of weapons, heavy weapons in the first investigations, and we have seen a new network of people around him in Brussels”.
Broadcaster VRT reported that only one of the brothers is suspected of having been at the airport, while the other targeted the Maelbeek subway station.
They also found chemicals including 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of liquid oxygen, detonators, a suitcase full of nails and other bomb-making equipment including plastic trays, tools and ventilator. Abdeslam is believed to have played a role in organizing and planning the Brussels attacks before his arrest, authorities have said.
The federal prosecutor revised the death toll down to 32 in the attacks at the airport and metro in Brussels.
In the wake of the Brussels airport and subway terrorist attacks, Belgian authorities are scouring the city for Najim Laachraoui.
At least 31 people were killed and 270 have been injured.
An arrest in connection with the terror attack has reportedly been made in the Anderlecht suburb of Brussels, but local media reports that Laachraoui had been detained have now been withdrawn.
Advertisement
Belgium began three days of mourning on Wednesday, and government offices, schools and residents held a moment of silence to honour the dead.
