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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 2016)
5A THE DAILY ASTORIAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016 Authorities hunt Brussels bombing suspects By RAF CASERT and LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS — Belgian authorities searched Wednes- day for a man pictured at the Brussels airport with two apparent suicide bombers, amid growing suggestions that the bombings of the Brus- sels airport and subway were the work of the same Islamic State cell that attacked Paris last year. Several people who may be linked to the Brussels attacks were still on the loose and the country’s threat alert remained at its highest level, meaning there was danger of an immi- nent attack, said Paul Van Tig- chelt, head of Belgium’s ter- rorism threat body. The attacks killed 34 people, including three suicide bombers, and injured 270 others, authorities said. Belgium began three days of mourning, and government of¿ces, schools and residents held a moment of silence to honor the dead, marking the moment in a mood of de¿ance mixed with anxiety that others involved in the attacks are still at large. Belgian prosecutor Fed- eral Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw identi¿ed two of the Brussels attackers as brothers — Ibrahim El Bakraoui, a sui- cide bomber at the airport, and Khalid El Bakraoui, who tar- geted the subway. Geer Vanden Wijngaert/AP Photo Police and other emergency workers stand in front of the damaged Zaventem Airport terminal in Brussels on Wednesday. Belgian authorities were searching Wednesday for a top suspect in the country’s deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Union’s capital awoke under guard and with limited public transport after scores were killed and injured in bombings on the Brussels airport and a subway station. Apartment raid Investigators raided the Brussels neighborhood of Schaerbeek after the attacks and found a computer in a trash can on the street including a note from Ibrahim El Bakraoui saying he felt increasingly unsafe and feared landing in prison. During a raid of the apart- ment where the brothers had stayed, investigators also found 15 kilograms of TATP explosives, nails, and other material for making explo- sives, the prosecutor said. Van Leeuw said authorities do not know the identities of two other people pictured with Ibrahim El Bakraoui in a sur- veillance photo from the air- port that police are circulating. Two were suicide bombers, the prosecutor said; the other was a man in a white jacket and black cap who Àed before the bombs went off, leaving behind a bag full of explo- sives, authorities said. That bag later blew up, but no one was injured. The Islamic State group, which was behind the Paris attacks, has also claimed responsibility for the Brussels bombings. Belgian state broadcaster RTBF, citing sources it did not identify, said Khalid El Bakraoui had rented an apart- ment that was raided last week in an operation that led author- ities to top Paris attacks sus- pect Salah Abdeslam. Abdeslam was arrested Friday in the Brussels neigh- borhood where he grew up, a rough place with links to sev- eral of the attackers who tar- geted a Paris stadium, rock concert and cafes on Nov. 13. Those attacks killed 130 people. A Belgian of¿cial work- ing on the investigation told the AP that it is a “plausible hypothesis” that Abdeslam was part of the cell linked to the Brussels attack. The of¿- cial spoke on condition of ano- nymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation. Belgian Federal Police/AP A man suspected of taking part in the attacks at Bel- gium’s Zaventem Airport pushes a trolley in the air- port terminal. The man has been the identified as Ibra- him El Bakraoui. nymity because he was not authorized to discuss an ongo- ing investigation. French and Belgian author- ities have said in recent days that the network behind the Paris attacks was much larger than initially thought — and developments this week sug- gest the same group could have staged both the Paris and Brussels attacks. The airport and sev- eral Brussels metro stations remained closed Wednesday, and authorities said the airport would remain closed at least through Thursday, forcing the cancellation of 00 Àights each day. Security forces stood guard around the neighbor- hood housing the headquar- ters of European Union insti- tutions, as nervous Brussels residents began returning to school and work under a misty rain. “Helping People Live Well” Victims from all over 65 N. Hwy. 101 Ste.204 Warrenton 503-325-5722 Suspected accomplice Authorities are also still looking for a suspected accom- plice of Abdeslam, Najim Laachraoui, whom they have been searching for since last week. It’s not clear if he has any connection to the Brussels attack. Belgian newspaper DH initially reported he might be the man in the white jacket at the Brussels airport, but later removed that report from its website. Laachraoui is believed to have made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, a French police of¿cial told The Associated Press, adding that Laachraoui’s DNA was found on all of the vests as well as in a Brussels apartment where they were made. The of¿cial spoke on condition of ano- of North African descent, some from neighborhoods that struggle with discrimination, unemployment and alienation. In its claim of responsibil- ity, the Islamic State group said its members detonated suicide vests both at the airport and in the subway, where many pas- sengers Àed to safety down dark tunnels ¿lled with hazy smoke from the explosion. IS warned of further attacks, issuing a statement promising “dark days” for countries tak- ing part in the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition in Syria and Iraq. European security of¿- cials have been bracing for a major attack for weeks and had warned that IS was actively preparing to strike. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Wednes- day that big events, be they sports or cultural, must not be put on hold for fear of attacks. He said that includes the Euro2016 soccer tournament, a monthlong event being held in France that starts in June. Meanwhile, the Belgian foot- ball federation announced that it was calling off an interna- tional soccer friendly match against Portugal next week because of the attacks. As be¿ts an international city like Brussels, the for- eign minister said the dead collectively held at least 40 nationalities. “It’s a war that terrorism has declared not only on France and on Europe, but on the world,” French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Wednesday on Europe-1 radio. Valls, who planned to visit Brussels later Wednesday, urged tougher controls of the EU’s external borders. “We must be able to face the extension of radical Isla- mism ... that spreads in some of our neighborhoods and per- verts our youth,” he said. The Paris attackers were mainly French and Belgian citizens ‘It’s a war that terrorism has declared not only on France and on Europe, but on the world.’ The most valuable and respected source of local news, advertising and information for our communities. 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