Video appears to show movements of 'man in white' after Brussels airport attack
A chilling new video released by Belgian authorities
Thursday shows the elusive "man in white" escaping Brussels airport last
month after helping to carry out a devastating terror attack, officials
said.
The two-minute clip, apparently spliced from a series
of surveillance videos, shows the unidentified man striding purposely
from Zaventem Airport, moving into a nearby town and then making his way
to Brussels, where he disappeared. Authorities also released still
photos of the man fleeing the scene of the bombing, for which ISIS has
claimed credit.
The suspect, in a white jacket and dark hat, became
Europe's most wanted man after a security camera captured him and two
suicide bombers pushing suitcases packed with explosives just before the
March 22 attack. The other two men died in the attack, which was
followed 79 minutes later by a suicide bombing at a metro station. In
all, 32 people and three suicide bombers died.
Belgian Federal Prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt said
authorities were especially interested in anyone who may have filmed the
man. He was wearing a dark hat and light jacket and it is believed that
at some point he discarded his jacket.
The appeal to the public for help more than two weeks
after the suicide bombings could indicate investigators have hit a
standstill.
A timeline released by authorities showed the man,
still wearing the hat, left the terminal at 7:58 a.m., the exact moment
the two men he was with detonated their suitcases. He passed by a
Sheraton hotel, walked through the town of Zaventem, discarded his
jacket, and was seen on video footage at Meiser square in northeastern
Brussels at 9:42 a.m.
Eight minutes later, his trail vanishes.
Belgian authorities are hoping that they or someone
finds the discarded, light-colored jacket, saying it could yield
precious clues. Federal Prosecutor Thierry Werts also said there had
been many people around the hotel when the suspect walked by who may now
be overseas, and asked for their assistance as well.
Prosecutors asked "people who might have filmed or
taken a photograph of the suspect or think they can provide extra
information" to call a special telephone number or to email authorities.
Earlier Thursday, the lawyer for Paris attacks
suspect Salah Abdeslam said it will take some weeks before his client
can be extradited from Belgium to France.
Sven Mary spoke after a legal hearing on the
Belgian-born French citizen's continuing detention in Belgium. He said
the existing "Belgian arrest warrant must be lifted for (Abdeslam's)
transfer" to France, in accordance with the extradition request.
Mary said before Belgian authorities allow Abdeslam
to leave they want to question the 26-year-old about another case -- a
deadly police raid in the Forest neighborhood of Brussels days before
his arrest.
Abdeslam fled to Belgium after the deadly Nov. 13
attacks on Paris and was arrested March 18 after four months on the run.
Since his arrest he has been in a prison in the Belgian city of Bruges.
He faces preliminary terrorism charges in France for the Paris attacks, which killed 130 people and left hundreds wounded.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Video appears to show movements of 'man in white' after Brussels airport attack
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