Brussels attacks: Prosecutor confirms identities of two suicide bombers

Belgian prosecutors on Wednesday confirmed two brothers were suicide bombers at Brussels airport and Maelbeek metro station and that a third man was on the run.

Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was part of the attack at Zaventem airport on Tuesday that killed 11 people, said federal prosecutor, Frederic van Leeuw. A second bomber blew himself up. Ibrahim's brother, Khalid struck at the Maelbeek metro, where 20 died. A total of 260 people were injured.

There was confusion earlier on Tuesday when Belgian media identified the third man as Najim Laachraoui and claimed that he had been arrested in the suburb of Anderlecht. The claim was later retracted, although police have confirmed they did make an arrest.

Van Leeuw said police had found a note written by Ibrahim El Bakraoui on a laptop during a search in the suburb of Schaerbeek bin after the attack .

“I do not know what to do. I am on the run, people are looking for me everywhere. If I give myself up I will end up in a prison cell," the note stated.

A massive police manhunt was underway launched for the third airport suspect, who they believed escaped after the explosives he was carrying did not detonate. Local media have identified him as Najim Laachraoui.

The CCTV footage shows him wearing a white jacket and hat. His two companions were dressed in black and wearing black gloves on their left hands thought to have concealed detonators.

Brussels' metro system reopened on Wednesday morning, but the airport remained closed. A friendly football match between Belgium and Portugal scheduled for March 29 has been cancelled for security reasons, the Belgian Football Association said, adding that the request had come from Brussels city officials.