Belgian Authorities Arrest Critical Suspect in Paris, Brussels Attacks

Reports from Belgian media say that a series of arrests today have resulted in the capture of the last known suspect of the Paris attacks. The man was also wanted in connection to the Brussels bombings.

Mohamed Abrini is a known childhood friend of Salah Abdeslam, and Abrini is suspected of helping him to plan and coordinate Islamic extremist attacks across Europe. Investigators have been pursuing for him for months, with the search intensifying after he was thought to be caught on surveillance video just before last month’s attacks.

Public prosecutors confirmed that several other arrests were made in the Anderlecht district of Brussels, and that they were related to the attacks that left 32 dead and others injured. Abrini’s arrest comes just one day after police issued new images and detail on the man in the white hat whose image has been circulated across the media and law enforcement databases.

According to the BBC, the prosecutors would not confirm further details. Belgian media is reporting that other suspects provided assistance to the man confirmed to have blown himself up at the Maelbeek metro station.

[h/t and image via Reuters]

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