Brussels attacks: Sixth suspect arrested following police terror raids
Belgium police arrested a sixth man following raids to locate suspected terrorists on Friday, 8 April in Brussels. The raids come as the country's police continue its manhunt for a suspected failed suicide bomber, nicknamed the "Man in the Hat".
Belgian officials had confirmed that five people were being questioned over the coordinated terror attacks last month. Further details about the sixth suspect are expected to be released in an announcement later on Saturday, 9 April.
Three suicide bombers struck at Zavantem Airport and a busy Metro station in the centre of Brussels on 22 March, killing 32 people dead and leaving 300 injured.
Paris attacks link
Sky News reported that the detained suspects include Mohamed Abrini, who is wanted by French police in connection with the Paris terror attacks of 15 November. The news channel reported that Abrini's DNA was found in a flat in Brussel's Schaerbeek district, where the Brussels' attackers stayed before the attacks.
Sky News also identified one of the suspects as Osama Krayem – a Swedish national from Malmö, Sweden, who allegedly left his hometown to fight in Syria. Krayem was reportedly filmed on CCTV at a shopping mall where the suitcases used by the airport bombers were purchased.
Man in the Hat
The arrests come after Belgian prosecutors appealed for information on a fourth suspected bomber. Belgium police released video of the suspected terrorist, dubbed the "Man in the Hat", showing him fleeing Zavantem airport after his device failed to detonate.
Belgian police also raided an apartment complex in the district of Etterbeek, central Brussels. The building was evacuated to enable forensic experts to conduct investigations, but no arrests were made.