1. Najim Laachraoui studied engineering at the Universite libre de Bruxelles from 2009 to 2010, but did not complete his degree.
15 Facts About Najim Laachraoui
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Najim Laachraoui then studied electromechanics at the Universite catholique de Louvain from 2010 to 2011.
3.
Najim Laachraoui worked at the Brussels Airport for five years until the end of 2012.
4.
Najim Laachraoui reportedly traveled to Syria in February 2013, where his family lost contact with him.
5.
Najim Laachraoui was part of Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen, a group led by Abu Atheer al-Absi.
6.
Najim Laachraoui is described as one of the first to have pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi after the dispute between IS and Jabhat al-Nusra.
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Najim Laachraoui participated in several battles against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
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Najim Laachraoui suffered a bullet wound to his leg in battles against Jabhat al-Nusra in the city of Deir Ezzor.
9.
In February 2016, Najim Laachraoui was suspected of involvement with a possible terrorist cell led by Khalid Zerkani, who recruited fighters in Syria, including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the organiser of the November 2015 Paris attacks.
10.
Najim Laachraoui went to trial and was awaiting sentencing at the time of the Brussels bombings, which was scheduled for May 2016.
11.
Najim Laachraoui is believed to be an accomplice of Abdeslam, with whom he travelled across Europe under the false identity of Soufiane Kayal.
12.
Najim Laachraoui is believed to have made the suicide vests used in the attacks against the Bataclan theatre and the Stade de France in Paris.
13.
Najim Laachraoui rented a house occupied by assailants involved in the Paris attacks.
14.
In July 2016, IS released a video celebrating several terrorist attacks that took place during the month of Ramadan showing Mohamed Belkaid, and Najim Laachraoui and displaying his nom de guerre Abu Idris al-Beljiki.
15.
Najim Laachraoui was the brother of taekwondo practitioner Mourad Laachraoui, who won a gold medal at the 2016 European Taekwondo Championships and who was expected to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics, but did not.