Belgium’s interior and justice ministers have offered their resignation in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks that left 31 people dead.
Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens offered to step down over the embarrassing revelations that they were warned about one of the attackers who struck the capital on Tuesday.
However, the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has rejected their offers.
At least 31 people have been killed and nearly 200 people have been injured in three major explosions at the city’s airport and a central Metro station.
Mr Jambon said “if you put all things in a row, you can ask yourself major questions” about the way the government handled the Islamist terror threat.
He said: “I realized that in these conditions it was justified to offer my resignation to the premier”.
Speaking last night, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country had deported one of the attackers who was caught trying to sneak over the border into Syria near Gaziantep last year.
He was deported to the Netherlands and President Erdogan said he had warned both countries about him.
Mr Erdogan said: “Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, Belgium could not establish any links with terrorism.”
An official from his office later identified the attacker as Brahim el-Bakraoui – who blew himself up in the attack at Zaventem airport which killed 11.
It comes as Belgian police continue to hunt for the unknown third bomber at Zaventem airport who fled when his bomb failed to detonate.
CCTV images have been released showing the man wearing a distinctive white coat, glasses and a black hat.
Police are appealing for information about the attacker after a stock of bomb-making materials was found at an apartment used by the attackers in the Schaerbeek area of the city.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Via UK Independent
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