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Belgium confirms brothers were suicide bombers

Belgian brothers Khalid (left) and Ibrahim El Bakraoui were identified as two of the suicide bombers who struck Brussels. Photo: AFP

Two brothers carried out suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on the metro on Tuesday, the federal prosecutor said on Wednesday, adding that airport bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui had left a will on a computer.

His brother Khalid blew himself up on a carriage of the Brussels metro at Maelbeek station, Frederic Van Leeuw told a news conference. Two other men captured on CCTV at the airport with Ibrahim had yet to be identified, he said.

The first bomb at the airport went off near desk 11 at 0758 (0658 GMT) and the second followed 9 seconds later near desk 2 of the departure hall, Van Leeuw said.

The prosecutor quoted Ibrahim's will as saying: "Always on the run, not knowing what to do anymore, being looked for everywhere, not being safe any longer and that if he waits around any longer he risks ending up next to the person in a cell."

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.

At a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek on Tuesday night police found 15kg of explosives, 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of oxygenated water, detonators, a suitcase filled with screws and nails as well as materials, such as plastic boxes, needed to pack up the explosives.

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Belgium confirms brothers were suicide bombers

Belgian brothers Khalid (left) and Ibrahim El Bakraoui were identified as two of the suicide bombers who struck Brussels. Photo: AFP

Two brothers carried out suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on the metro on Tuesday, the federal prosecutor said on Wednesday, adding that airport bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui had left a will on a computer.

His brother Khalid blew himself up on a carriage of the Brussels metro at Maelbeek station, Frederic Van Leeuw told a news conference. Two other men captured on CCTV at the airport with Ibrahim had yet to be identified, he said.

The first bomb at the airport went off near desk 11 at 0758 (0658 GMT) and the second followed 9 seconds later near desk 2 of the departure hall, Van Leeuw said.

The prosecutor quoted Ibrahim's will as saying: "Always on the run, not knowing what to do anymore, being looked for everywhere, not being safe any longer and that if he waits around any longer he risks ending up next to the person in a cell."

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.

At a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek on Tuesday night police found 15kg of explosives, 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of oxygenated water, detonators, a suitcase filled with screws and nails as well as materials, such as plastic boxes, needed to pack up the explosives.

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হাসিনাকে প্রত্যর্পণে ভারতকে কূটনৈতিক নোট পাঠানো হয়েছে: পররাষ্ট্র উপদেষ্টা

পররাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রণালয়ে সাংবাদিকদের বলেন, ‘বিচারিক প্রক্রিয়ার জন্য বাংলাদেশ সরকার তাকে (হাসিনা) ফেরত চায়—জানিয়ে আমরা ভারত সরকারের কাছে একটি নোট ভারবাল (কূটনৈতিক বার্তা) পাঠিয়েছি।’

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