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Police: Brussels Airport Employs At Least 50 ISIS Supporters

Het Nieuwsblad via REUTERS

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Jacob Bojesson Foreign Correspondent
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Airport police in Brussels claims at least 50 Islamic State supporters are employed at the Zaventem airport where two suicide bombings killed 16 people March 22.

The claim comes from an open letter where police officers say they flagged individuals to authorities on numerous occasions before the attack. ISIS supporters work as baggage handlers, cleaners and catering staff, according to the officers, which give them access to planes. Some employees were removed when it became known they had received training in Syria. (VIDEO: Explained In Two Minutes: The Insane Rise Of ISIS)

Individuals openly cheered after the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, but they were allowed to keep their jobs. The police’s last warning the airport was a possible target came just four days before the attack, after Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam was arrested.

The bombs were detonated in the baggage claim area, which is accessible for anyone without security checks. Police believe the perpetrators scouted the area before they decided to blow themselves up and received tips from employees about how to go about it. (VIDEO: Brussels Ridiculed Idea Of Islamic Violence In Ad)

“For us it is clear that the terrorists, with the help of their spies, tested the safety of our airport screeners before taking action,” the letter states.

The Daily Mail further reports two of the bombers had family members employed at the airport. The officers are now demanding safety guarantees before they return to work.

The airport remains closed until further notice.

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