Belgian Suspected to be Paris Attacks Mastermind

Belgian resident Abdelhamid Abaaoud is one of the men suspected to be the mastermind of the Paris terror attacks. At least one of the attackers was linked to Abaaoud, who is thought to have supervised and funded the massacre. According to the Independent, Abaaoud, 27, is the son of a shopkeeper from Morocco and resided in Brussels, in the Molenbeek district.

Abaaoud joined the Islamic State in Syria in 2013, where he became one of the most active Islamic State executioners, RTL radio in France said. According to Belgian media, Abaaoud also recruited his own 14-year-old brother, Younes Abaaoud, who is believed to be one of the Islamic State's youngest fighters.

A new police operation was underway in Molenbeek this morning, while in France police conducted 168 raids overnight and placed 104 people under house arrest. Abaaoud however is thought to be in Syria at the moment.

In the meantime, following French airstrikes in Syria, the Islamic State warned in a new propaganda video that countries supporting France will share the same fate. According to Vice News, Washington D.C. is among the group's new targets, a speaker in the video said.

 

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Europe: "Belgian Suspected to be Paris Attacks Mastermind"