Najim Laachraoui

Najim Laachraoui

Still from CCTV footage showing Najim Laachraoui (left), Ibrahim El Bakraoui (centre), and Mohamed Abrini (right)
Born (1991-05-18)18 May 1991[1]
Ajdir, Morocco
Status Deceased
Died 22 March 2016(2016-03-22) (aged 24)
Brussels, Belgium
Known for Alleged involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks and the 2016 Brussels bombings

Najim Laachraoui (18 May 1991 – 22 March 2016), also known as Abou Idriss or Soufiane Kayal,[2][3] was a Belgian-Moroccan Islamic terrorist confirmed to be one of the two suicide bombers at the Brussels Airport in the 2016 Brussels bombings. He is also suspected of making the bombs used in the November 2015 Paris attacks.[4]

Personal background

Laachraoui was born in Ajdir, Morocco but raised in the Schaerbeek neighbourhood of Brussels, where he attended a Catholic high school. Laachraoui studied engineering at the Université libre de Bruxelles from 2009 to 2010, but did not complete his degree. He then studied electromechanics at the Université catholique de Louvain from 2010 to 2011.[4][5]

Laachraoui worked at the Brussels Airport for five years until the end of 2012.[6][7]

Terrorist activities

Laachraoui reportedly travelled to Syria in February 2013, where his family lost contact with him.[5][8] In 2013 and 2014, he was, according to four ex-hostages, working as a prison guard called "Abou Idriss" for the Islamic State.[9][2] His travel to Syria resulted in the mayor of Schaerbeek declaring that Laachraoui had been removed from the voting rolls in 2015, but being "powerless to do more".[10] In February 2016, Laachraoui was suspected of involvement with a possible terrorist cell led by Khalid Zerkani, who recruited fighters in Syria, including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the organiser of the November 2015 Paris attacks. He went to trial and was awaiting sentencing at the time of the Brussels bombings, which was scheduled for May 2016.[4]

Like the Bakraoui brothers, Laachraoui evaded capture during the police raids on 15 and 18 March 2016 which captured Salah Abdeslam.[11] Laachraoui is believed to be an accomplice of Abdeslam, with whom he travelled across Europe under the false identity of Soufiane Kayal.[5][11] Laachraoui is also believed to have made the suicide vests used in the attacks against the Bataclan theatre and the Stade de France in Paris.[5] He also rented a house occupied by assailants involved in the Paris attacks.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Red Notices: Laachraoui, Najim". Interpol. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Brussels bomber Najim Laachraoui was a prison guard for hostages of Islamic State". Firstpost. AFP. 22 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "“Soufiane Kayal” identified as Najim Laachroui". Flanders News. 21 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lilia Blaise; Aurelien Breeden (25 March 2016). "Najim Laachraoui, 24, Bomb Maker for Paris and Brussels Attacks". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Henry Austin; Lisa McNally (23 March 2016). "Najim Laachraoui: What We Know About Suspected Bomb-Maker". NBC News. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "Brussels bomber Najim Laachraoui 'worked at airport for five years'". The Telegraph. 21 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Laachraoui werkte 5 jaar op Zaventem". VTM. 20 April 2016.
  8. ↑ Adam Taylor (23 March 2016). "This is the man who is suspected of making the Brussels bombs". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "Brussels bomber Laachraoui 'guarded IS Syria hostages'". BBC News. 22 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Andrew Higgins; Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura. "In Brussels Bombing Plot, a Trail of Dots Not Connected". Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  11. 1 2 Lilia Blaise (21 March 2016). "Belgian Police Name Man Suspected of Being Salah Abdeslam's Accomplice". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
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