Brussels airport bomber 'was a jailer of foreign Islamic State hostages in Syria'

A suicide bomber in the Brussels airport attack has been identified as a former Islamic State jailer of foreign hostages in Syria, according to reports.

Najim Laachraoui was recognised by several of his former hostages, according to sources quoted by AP news agency.

Four French journalists kidnapped in Syria in 2013 and 2014 said he had been a guard known by the name "Abou Idriss", the newswire said.

One of group, Nicolas Henin, has "formally identified" Abou Idriss as Najim Laachraoui, according to his lawyer Marie-Laure Ingouf.

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