TWO of the suicide bombers involved in the Parisian massacre travelled more than 4000km from Syria
posing as refugees
to reach their target.
New details of the direct links with Islamic State came last night as the net closed in on the massacre masterminds and supporters, including arrests of one attacker’s six family members and the discovery of a getaway car used in the attacks.
Two of the bombers from Syria moved through Europe posing as refugees with one registering with authorities on the Greek island of Leros on October 3.
That 25-year-old’s passport was found near Stade de France, the scene of a fatal attack outside the French national stadium. A third terrorist found nearby was only 15 years old.
The IS imposter refugee moved from Macedonia into the Serbian border town of Miratovce, where he attempted to seek asylum, and towards Paris, travelling through Croatia and Austria. As they cruised through Europe, the “refugees” inched closer to the Brussels district of Sint-Jans Molenbeek — known by locals as the “den of terrorists”.
French chief prosecutor Francois Molins said the three jihadi teams included a Belgian-linked cell, and a Frenchman who rented a Volkswagen Polo found near the Bataclan concert hall. It also emerged last night that the getaway vehicle used in the attacks on several restaurants and bars was found to the east of the French capital in the suburb of Montreuil.
Belgium — a country of only 11.2 million — last night has been identified as Europe’s IS heartland. The country has spawned more than 380 jihadists, the highest proportion of citizens to join IS.
HOTSPOTS HIT
Belgian counter-terrorism police made three arrests in a sweep of known Islamic extremist hotspots, including that of a French national whose car was also linked to the Paris attacks.
Belgium’s Justice Minister Koen Geens said the arrests were linked to the grey Polo. A second car, also with Belgian plates, was reportedly seen near a cafe targeted by attackers. A parking ticket discarded in the Polo had been issued in Molenbeek, providing investigators with their first clue linking the attacks to IS.
It wasn’t the first time Belgian intelligence agencies had been caught out following terror attacks.
Ayoub El Khazzani — the suspect in August’s thwarted terror attack on a high-speed Brussels to Paris train — spent time in Molenbook where his sister lived.
In January, police carried out multiple raids, killing two suspects Khalid Ben Larbi and Sofiane Amghar, who had travelled to Syria and fought with IS.
LONE WOLF
A Madrid bomber had also lived there as well as Mehdi Nemmouche — an IS fighter who had returned from Syria to kill four people in a lone wolf attack on the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels.
French, Belgian, German and Egyptian police are piecing together the backgrounds of the seven terrorists. Using AK47s, the men murdered civilians at seven locations before blowing themselves up.
JIHADI IDENTIFIED
French petty criminal and terrorist Omar Ismail Mostefai was identified after his finger was found in the rubble of the Bataclan concert hall. The 29-year-old, who lives in the southern suburbs of Paris and had known ties to radical Islam, reportedly spent months in Syria in late 2013-2014. Mostefai was from Courcouronnes, a poor Parisian suburb, and while he had eight convictions for petty crimes between 2004 and 2010 he served no jail time.
Six of Mostefai’s relatives, including his father and 34-year-old brother, were taken into custody and their homes searched by counter-terrorism specialists.
Mostefai was flagged as a “high-priority” radicalisation target in 2014 but had no known links with terrorists.
“It’s a crazy thing, it’s madness,” his brother told media before being taken into custody.
The brother, one of six children including four boys, turned himself into police after hearing Mostefai was involved in the attacks.
The pair cut ties several years ago but the brother said he didn’t believe he could have been radicalised.
The family claim they thought Mostefai had travelled to Algeria with his family and “little girl”.
“It’s been a time since I have had any news,” the brother said.
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