WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US counterterrorism authorities had Khalid and Ibrahim Bakraoui in their terrorist threat databases, two US officials told NBC News.
On Tuesday, the two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the departures hall of Brussels international airport in the northeastern municipality of Zaventem and another explosion went off inside a subway car at Maelbeek station near the EU institutions. At least 31 people were killed and 300 were injured in the attacks.
Daesh jihadist group, also known as Daesh, has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey had detained Ibrahim Bakraoui on the border with Syria in June 2015 and subsequently deported him to Belgium.
According to Erdogan, the Belgian authorities ignored Ankara's warnings that Bakraoui had maintained ties with terrorists and proceeded to set him free.
