Another suspect sought over attacks

Belgian police hunt for man seen with metro bomber

BRUSSELS // Police were hunting for two suspects still at large yesterday after the Brussels bombings as a key suspect in November’s Paris attacks insisted he was unaware of plans to strike the Belgian capital.

Investigators are now seeking a man with a large bag seen next to bomber Khalid El Bakraoui on CCTV footage at Maalbeek station, where about 20 people were killed in Tuesday’s attacks. A manhunt is already under way for a third attacker at Brussels’ Zaventem airport, who was seen on security footage with El Bakraoui’s brother Ibrahim and a man identified as Najim Laachraoui, but whose bomb did not go off.

The Bakraoui brothers are said to have had links with Salah Abdeslam, the last known survivor of the 10 men who carried out the Paris attacks who was arrested in Brussels last Friday.

Asked if Abdeslam had prior knowledge of Tuesday’s assault, his lawyer Sven Mary replied: “He didn’t know it.”

Mr Mary also said his client had changed his mind and no longer wanted to fight extradition to France.

Meanwhile, Belgium lowered its terror alert level from maximum to three yesterday as Belgians observed a minute of silence on the third and final day of mourning for the 31 people killed in the attacks.

However, Brussels airport will remain closed to passenger flights until at least Sunday, the airport operator said, extending the shutdown by another day.