Were Brussels Suicide Bombers Detained, and Released Following Earlier Terror Raid?

In the aftermath of the Brussels airport and metro bombings, the investigation continues into the Islamic State cell behind the attack, and how Belgian law enforcement and intelligence may have missed the attack, including reports that one of the bombers had been previously captured and deported by Turkey. Questions are now being raised as to whether authorities may have released the two suicide bombers, Khalid el-Bakraoui and  Ibrahim el-Bakraoui only the week before. The Free Fire blog reported on both men being detained at the time of a March 15th Counterterrorism raid on a home in Forest, Belgium , citing a report which appeared in the UK Express :

Brothers Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who were named in Belgian media, are believed to be the two men detained after fleeing the scene yesterday afternoon. The men are reportedly known for their links with violent crime in the Brussels area. Brussels went into lockdown for several days after the Paris attacks as authorities feared another major incident there.

Media outlets have since noted that the raid took place at a home reportedly registered by Khalid El-Bakaroui:

One Bakraoui brother rented a flat in the Forest area of south-west Brussels that was raided by police last week, leading days later to the capture of Salah Abdeslam, the only known survivor among the Paris attackers.

CNN had reported at the time that two men “managed to escape” and two were taken into custody but later released, but did not name the suspects. The Guardian also reported that two suspects had escaped and that two were detained. The CNN, Guardian and UK Express reports all include the detail of one of the detained suspects being picked up at a local hospital with the broken leg. An NBC news report says that the El-Bakaroui brothers were “almost captured” during the raid, but makes no mention of any suspects being detained or released.

It is certainly possible that the Express report which Free Fire cited regarding the El-Bakraoui brothers being detained was incorrect, perhaps conflating the names of the suspects who fled with those who were later detained. But if the Brussels police had the two men in custody following a bloody shoot out with police during a terror raid, only to let them go, it would be a stunning failure for a Belgian security service which has already been roundly criticized by their counterparts. As the investigation continues hopefully a full accounting of the El-Bakaroui’s time from the day of the March 15th raid to the Brussels attacks will become available.