Paris and Brussels attacks’ architect identified

CAIRO - 9 March 2017: The architect behind the November 2015 Paris attacks and March 2016 Brussels bombings has been identified through investigations by counter-terrorism bodies, French newspaper

le Monde

said Thursday.

The newspaper said Syrian national Ahmad AlKhaled was responsible for manufacturing the bombs used in the attacks in Paris and Brussels, adding that he managed to flee Europe three days after the Paris attacks.

The French newspaper added that AlKhaled is believed to have returned back to his hometown of Aleppo in Syria immediately after the Paris attacks, avoiding arrest by French, Belgian and all other European security forces.

Alkhaled is believed to have arrived in Europe by the migrants' route along with several suicide bombers loyal to the Islamic State group, according to Le Monde, and investigations revealed that he returned to Syria on Nov. 16, 2015.

Belgian daily newspapers La Derniere Heure and La Libre Belgique reported Tuesday, March 7 that Alkhaled was none other than the chief artificer of the terrorist cell. His fingerprints were found on the explosive belt of Brahim Abdeslam, who blew himself up at the Comptoir Voltaire cafe in Paris, and that of Salah Abdeslam.

Alkhaled continued to correspond with the terrorist cells in Brussels after his return to Syria, from Nov. 16, 2015 until the Brussels attacks on March 22, 2016, the investigations revealed.